


Around the world

by angelfiregirl80



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Albania-Freeform, Angst, Asuncion-Freeform, Athens-Freeform, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan-Freeform, Baby Hamish, Barcelona-Freeform, Berlin (City), Berlin Wall, Bogota-Freeform, Bologna-Freeform, Bosnia, Boston, Brazil, Bucharest-Freeform, Budapest, Buenos Aires-Freeform, Bulgaria-Freeform, Cartagena-Freeform, Case Fic, China, Copenhagen-Freeform, Costa Rica-Freeform, Croatia-Freeform, Cuba-Freeform, Czech Republic-Freeform, Detectives, Diogenes Club, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drug-Induced Sex, Drugs, Ecuador-Freeform, Egypt, England (Country), Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, France (Country), Galapagos Islands-Freeform, Germany, Greece, Helsinki-Freeform, Honeymoon, Human Experimentation, Hungary-Freeform, Hurt Greg, Hurt Sherlock, Italian Mafia, Italy, Japan, John "Three Continents" Watson, John's Birthday, John's Childhood, John's Parents-Freeform, John's blog-freeform, Kabul-Freeform, Kathmandu-Freeform, Kazakhstan, La Paz-Freeform, Las Vegas, Latvia-Freeform, Liechtenstein - Freeform, Lima-Freeform, London, Los Angeles, M/M, Macedonia-Freeform, Madrid-Freeform, Medical Experimentation, Medical Torture, Mention of torture, Mexico-Freeform, Milan-Freeform, Minsk-Freeform, Moldova-Freeform, Montenegro-Freeform, Montevideo-Freeform, Morocco-Freeform, Moscow-Freeform, Mycroft IS the British Government, New Delhi-Freeform, New York City, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Oslo (City), Other, Pablo Neruda's Poetry, Padua-Freeform, Panama City, Paris (City), Past Rape/Non-con, Pau-Freeform, Peru, Poland-Freeform, Pompeii-Freeform, Purple Shirt of Sex, Quito-Freeform, Rapa-Nui-Freeform, Rape, Red Pants, References to Shakespeare, Republic of Panama, Roma | Rome, Romania-Freeform, Russia, Saint Petersburg-Freeform, Samba, Santiago-Freeform, Santorini-Freeform, Serbia-freeform, Sherlock's Violin, Slovakia-Freeform, Sofia-Freeform, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Stockholm, Switzerland, Tallinn-Freeform, Thailand, The Netherlands, The Triad-Freeform, Torture, Tripoli-Freeform, Tunisia-Freeform, Turkey-Freeform, Unethical Experimentation, Vaduz-Freeform, Valentine's Day, Venice-Freeform, Verona-Freeform, Vienna-Freeform, Vilnius-Freeform, Warsaw (City), Washington D.C., Wedding Night, Wedding Planning, Wedding Rings, World Travel, Yakuza, Zurich-Freeform, agra, cases, mention of divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 08:49:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 146
Words: 335,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5660290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelfiregirl80/pseuds/angelfiregirl80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After receiving a large amount of money, John and Sherlock decide to go around the world. During their travels, Sherlock will tell John what happened during the two years he was away. Their relationship will have some ups and downs, but their love is stronger than they ever imagined. And as they discover things about each other, and share their worst fears and memories, they also have the chance to solve a few cases together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I will always lose to Sherlock Holmes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AtlinMerrick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlinMerrick/gifts), [nevertooldtorock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevertooldtorock/gifts), [notjustmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/gifts), [scrub456](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrub456/gifts), [darcylindbergh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcylindbergh/gifts), [dioscureantwins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dioscureantwins/gifts), [sherlockian4evr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockian4evr/gifts), [Sherlock1110](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherlock1110/gifts), [wendymarlowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymarlowe/gifts), [KittieHill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittieHill/gifts), [SamanthaLenore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaLenore/gifts), [hudders-and-hiddles (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/gifts), [lookupkate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookupkate/gifts), [DaringD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaringD/gifts).



> This is a new Johnlock fic that's been going around my mind. I hope you enjoy it, and as usual, the disclaimer. I don't own them!
> 
> Love the comments!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary's letter explaining why she left, and then wishing the new couple a happy life together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Mary... Amanda is so wonderful! But the heart of a fangirl wants what the heart of a fangirl wants... Long live Johnlock!

_Dear John_

_First of all I must start by saying that I love you, maybe not from the moment I first met you, but I learned to love you, through every little detail, every smile; every gaze. It caught me of guard, the love for you I mean. I was certain that it will never happen to me, and then, I was planning a wedding, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world._

_Secondly, it must be said, Sherlock is right, you know, you certainly are the kindest and bravest man I’ve ever known, you have an unsurmountable capacity to love and forgive. We both, Sherlock and I, have been forgiven many times, and loved in the deepest way. I was so pleased when I became your wife, the one you chose to be with you until death do us part, that I thought, no, blindly believed, that I was enough for you._

_But I’ll never be enough, would I? You have an addiction, worse than the one Sherlock has; and no, I don’t mean your adrenaline addiction, you are an adrenaline junkie, no matter how much you try to deny it; but your Sherlock addiction; you’re addicted to him, you need him to live as much as you need oxygen to breathe, or food to survive._

_I'm but a mere distraction, a futile attempt to deny what truly lies behind your obsession with Sherlock Holmes, I dare to say I’m but a screen, a cover up to hide what you truly feel towards him. You can deny it all you want, yell it to the wind, but the truth is that you love Sherlock Holmes._

_Many nights I have woken to the sound of your voice calling for him, desperately, tearfully; and all I can do is hold you close to my heart, try to soothe you and wait. You hold me, but never relax, I don’t smell like him, I don’t sound like him, and you part from me and hold your pillow, calling his name insistently, and my heart breaks, every night, a little more, every time._

_When you wake up you smile at me, and I always wonder if you know what you have been dreaming, or who with. You hold me, kiss me softly and off you go, to pursuit the real love of your life. You leave everything behind for him; nothing is more important to you in the world than Sherlock Holmes, even though you walk away from him every chance you get. I guess it’s your endless denial that makes you walk away every time, and hide behind the “love” you claim you feel for me_

_I may act as a strong woman, and indeed, I am a strong woman, I’ve fought for you, for us, for our future and our happiness, but there is only so much I can do to keep you by my side; someday, sooner rather than later, you’ll accept your true feelings and you’ll leave me to rot and die._

_You will deny it all your life, but you use people. You claim that you serve and protect, that you are built to endure whatever comes your way, that all you want is to help people, and that you feel used and abused by Sherlock Holmes, that all people betray you, and you hide behind the fear of betrayal, in order to not acknowledge the fact that you use people, that whenever something goes out “the wrong way” you flee and seek for comfort, you did it to me while Sherlock was gone, you did it to him after you left me; you did it to everyone you know when you left to the war and hid behind the man you pretended to be, for fear of being the man you want to be._

_You should admit it now, before it’s too late, before you find yourself trapped in a loveless marriage, your so called best-friend gone, dead because of that one last hit he’ll need to forget you, to let you be, to let you go and pretend to be happy. He’s been there for you from the beginning, he left to save your life, he killed and maimed for you, he endured torture, pain, hunger, lack of sleep, terrible colds, scalding heats, all for you, and yet, you left him, you moved on, and you never thanked him for what he did._

_Have you ever, even for a second, given a thought about what he felt during our wedding? Did you listen to the pain that hid behind the notes of his composition? Are you sure you listened to what he said during his speech? He said he loves you, that he is willing to do whatever is needed to be done to ensure your happiness, even die for you if you ask so. I think you never listen. Sherlock is right, you see but you don’t observe; and you take everyone for granted, as if only by being John Watson you deserve to be loved and respected, when both love and respect are not only earned but must be nurtured and protected._

_Sure, I tried to kill him; sure, I threatened him; yes, I did act like a witch with capital B, I was so blind, so comfortable, so convinced and wrapped in myself that I thought that no matter what you’ll love me forever, and I’ll be the first everything in your life, but no, I will always lose to Sherlock Holmes, he’s the first, the last, the only, the one._

_I should leave now, it’s hard though, harder than I ever imagined; me, the trained killer is in love with you, and loves being Mary Watson, but I can’t compete, not anymore; I’ve done my part, I’ve been the loving and doting wife, the adoring and respectful friend, but no more, now I am to be the bad wife that left you, that walked away from you, the one that abandoned you. But it’s for the best. I love you and I want you to be happy, and you can only be happy with the one and only Sherlock Holmes._

_I wish you love, joy, and happiness. Please, accept not only my deepest apologies, but my congratulations. Live, love, enjoy, please John; wake up! Love him the way I know you do, the way he deserves; the way I wish you loved me._

_Love_

_Mary_

_P.S.: If you receive this letter it means that my past life has caught me... I love you... M_


	2. After the letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John has always been worried about money, but an envelope he receives on the mail is about to change his life forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the actual beggining of the fic. Enjoy! Comments are always welcome!

John always thought that Sherlock had no money; looking for a flatmate; not paying bills; having a seemingly normal childhood home, all indicative that money might be an issue. After the “Blind Banker” a great amount of money went into “The Work” account; their first twenty. After that, John always collected checks from satisfied customers and “The Work” bank account settled into a nice five figure account most times.

After their trip to Dartmoor, John was concerned about their expenses, so he ran a check up on their account, the five figures still there, so there wasn’t much to worry about. The flat was paid in full every month, and there was enough to cover the madman’s experiments, having to repaint the kitchen a couple of times and repainting a few walls every now and then; they had enough to cover their expenses too, so for a while long, before Sherlock was gone (we’re all over that now… right?), they needn't to worry about money.

After Sherlock was gone, John received his estate, which consisted of “The Work” account, the flat fully paid for as long as he decided to live there, and all expenses covered intended for John not to worry about a thing. After the fall, John moved out of 221B and never touched the money, it didn’t feel right. After a while he looked for a job, met Mary and his life was the same shade of grey it was before, and after Sherlock.

When Sherlock was back, he was surprised that John never touched a single quid, so it was a healthy account. After Sherlock was back, and John was running around the city with him again, he never wanted to talk about the account; he had a new house, a new job, a new “flatmate”. He was about to get married, and though their income was steady, he never wondered from where Mary had all that money to pay for their wedding, he just let it slide.

The flat they shared was Mary’s, and after their wedding, it became communal property, so it was his too; so was the car and a few other appliances that they had at the flat; although he wasn’t aware of the flat ownership until today. After he left Mary, right after she shot Sherlock; he closed their joint account and accepted Sherlock’s help for the time being.

After the whole Mary/Moriarty affair, and a round of rehab for Sherlock; John was back in 221B; worrying about money all over again, figuring out how to pay bills, buy groceries and other stuff; he had this misconception that they were struggling for money; he had no idea “The Work” account was rather healthy; and that his flatmate had a few other secrets. That's why John was always concerned with money and was adamant about keeping his job when Sherlock asked him to quit the surgery before they get married.

Sherlock knew about John’s concerns, and as a matter of fact, he needed time to break important news to John, so he accepted; besides, if John was happy, he was happy; even if it meant delaying their wedding until John was satisfied with the amount of money he thought they might need to have a nice ceremony. Last time he got married (who needs to remember that? Seriously though?), she paid for everything; but this time he wanted to take care of all and have a wonderful ceremony, and also a wonderful honeymoon.

Sherlock complied. They set the date to 10 months after their engagement, October 31st, the only “holiday” Sherlock truly enjoyed, Halloween. They got engaged on the 29th of January so it seemed more than appropriate to have a ten months engagement and to save, for John’s sake and peace of mind, as much money as possible. Nonetheless, a couple months later John received a letter, it was Mary’s estate, she had left everything to him along with a letter saying goodbye and stating that he was a free man, and that if he received the letter it was because she’d died.

John was partly relieved, he wasn’t a divorced man anymore; but now, he was a widower. He didn’t dwell much in it; even though he was grateful to Mary and in fact, did love her; but his love for Sherlock was bigger than he could have ever imagined. Within the letter came confirmation that the flat was sold at a fair amount; and so was the car; he also received a major inheritance that secured his future for a couple of centuries.

The same afternoon, he received his bank statement, well, their bank statement, and he was surprised to see that Sherlock hadn’t touched “The Work” account, but that it had grown exponentially since the detective was back; clients knew better, so they transferred money to their account after the completion, to satisfaction as always, of their cases. So, money was no longer an issue, but he still wanted to work, he wanted to feel useful and to provide, in some sort of way, to his madman.

Sherlock was working on a case, so he had to wait for him to break the news; he knew that Sherlock didn’t care much for money, but with their futures secured, they could work a little less, though he was content with this new surgery; and he knew that Sherlock would never leave London and stop solving cases.

He prepared a nice dinner and waited for his madman, thinking about how to tell him all about Mary’s inheritance, life insurance and other stuff. He thought about it while he busied himself cooking, they will be able to have a nice ceremony, and an even nicer honeymoon, he wanted to treat Sherlock with the best, he deserved the best.

Sherlock was at the yard, giving Lestrade the facts he needed to arrest the wife (is almost always the spouse, isn’t it?) She had killed her husband with the help of her sister, a classic case of infidelity gone more than wrong, since the now deceased had not only cheated on this wife, he had cheated on other five wives he had, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. The case was rather simple, a four in the Sherlockian scale of cases, but Lestrade wanted him to fill some papers, and if he wanted to have an uninterrupted day with John tomorrow to tell him about his estate, this was the best he could do.

He went back home thinking about how to talk to John, show him his estate and let him know a few things about his family. Sure John knew all about Mycroft, but he barely knew about their parents, the house where Mycroft lives, and the truth behind 221B; the truth about Sherlock never caring much for money. His entire estate was “protected” by Mycroft, he did have a credit card, for emergencies and other sort of stuff, the “rent” was paid in full via money transfers programmed for the same day each month; and so were his expenses. He was never allowed to keep big amounts of cash, maybe a couple hundred a week, for cabs and what not, precautions taken just in case his drug habits might kick again; Mycroft always made sure of that; that is, until John appeared in Sherlock’s life.

After John, Mycroft made sure that Sherlock will always have a fair amount of money to ensure financial security for his brother and his Doctor; he purchased 221B as soon as Sherlock moved in, and the rent was more a monthly stipend for Mrs. Hudson than anything else. The property was bought with Sherlock’s money, he wasn’t clear if it was with a part of his inheritance or his trust fund.

Their grandmother left them a sizable amount of money, and a couple of properties for them to dispose as they please, one of them being the house were their parents live now, a house in Surrey and a house in Sussex. Mycroft had given his parents the house on the outskirts of London and took the enormous estate in central London in exchange, and papers were signed for Sherlock to have the house in Sussex. The enormous house in Cardiff was more a family vacation home to be shared amongst them.

Some other properties were sold and the money distributed equally amongst the brothers. Their parents always lived simple lives, never flaunting their money or their positon, giving their sons what they wanted and needed, but never spoiling them (much); of course, Mycroft and Sherlock attended the best schools and the best University, their parents prepared them to support themselves instead of waiting for any amount of money to come to them, though they did support their children by any means possible.

Violet Holmes was a math genius, Siger was a business man, and the Holmes name could open many doors, their money was as old as their ancestry and their contacts limitless, how else could Mycroft get a pardon to his little brother that easy? Some Lords and Ladies, and also some Earls and Countesses were part of the apparently unknown family; “discretion” being the most important word in their vocabulary; that is, until Sherlock and some of his most famous press headlines.


	3. The truth behind the broken brotherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock's "hate" for Mycroft always seemed unjustified, particularly to John. That was until Mycroft "sacrificed" Sherlock to get Moriarty, that stirred his hate to new and unknown levels, that is until Sherlock told him the reason behind his "hate"

John was waiting for Sherlock, dinner ready, he decided to make some Italian food, Sherlock’s favourite, and he prepared the coffee table, some lit candles, a bottle of red wine, and just in case, a couple of smokes, just to help Sherlock deal with the future news; and obviously, a pack of nicotine patches. He placed the envelopes containing Mary’s letter, the insurance and the bank statement neatly next to Sherlock’s plate.

On his way home, Sherlock stopped at Tesco and bought milk; he knew how much it appeased John that he would worry about such mundane things like buying milk and beans. He also bought some strawberry jam, just in case and sugar and coffee and more tea. He would have bought flowers, but for him that was too much. He was going to buy dinner when he received a text from John

**Dinner’s ready. Coming soon?**

Tesco. Be right there -SH

He left Tesco and walked the few blocks that separated the store from Baker Street, thinking how to address the matter ahead as easy as possible, though every possible scenario ended with a disastrous outcome, most of them, with John leaving the flat, furious, and in most of them, never returning and leaving Sherlock definitely. Though Sherlock never lied, he “omitted” a couple of things; it was never necessary to tell John all about the money, or the family inheritance, especially because Sherlock never imagined that he will be marrying his best friend in less than eight months.

The minute he entered the flat he could smell the delicious dinner John had prepared; Italian, his favourite, which meant that John had done something or had some news; he settled for the latter when he saw the wine, and his stomach churned when he saw the candles… Mary… It wasn’t that they weren't romantic, they would share a nice candle light dinner, but they would usually agree to do so, and it would usually lead to a nice lovemaking session; and the dinner would usually be at Angelo’s, and then they’ll take a bath or something. Though it could be good news, John had waited for him with a dinner like this when he left Mary, Italian, candles, red wine… Good news, let’s hope for good news.  

John was nervous, but when he read that Sherlock was in Tesco, his stomach twisted and his heart leapt on his chest; why would Sherlock be at Tesco? He didn’t even bother on buying his own damn nicotine patches; that meant he had news, or that he had to apologise about something; the last time Sherlock went to Tesco was because he had followed him to the pub and had interrupted his night out with Lestrade and Stamford. He saw the milk and he suddenly couldn’t breathe, Sherlock had done something very, very wrong and he wanted to appease John.

Sherlock went straight to the kitchen and left the bag on the counter, he hugged John from the back and kissed his neck; John turned on his arms and kissed the tip of Sherlock’s nose.

“Hello love. How’s the case?” John asked without looking at the bag

“Solved it. It was the sister’s brother in law, he had a gambling debt and was embezzling funds from the family company, when the victim noticed the man killed him during a fight” Sherlock was thankful for the distraction. "And the other one was another four. A cheatting husband" Sherlock shrugged and let go of John.

“What did you buy?” John went to the bag

“Milk, beans, jam, sugar, coffee… and tea” He looked away trying to help John with the bag as to occupy his hands, trying to calm his breathing and look nonchalant

John’s heart sank. He bought milk, beans and tea! “We’re not out of tea, love” John tried to be calm “and I just bought milk yesterday morning” he said trying to breathe normally

“Oh” Sherlock looked to the living room “Italian? Candles? Red wine? Cigarettes!” John looked away and the moment was more than awkward.

“Yes” John sighed “I made dinner, shall we?” He left the kitchen and went to the coffee table. Sherlock sat in front of John and opened the wine bottle; he poured some wine for them and drank a little, as if to gain some courage. He looked at John and smiled, John was looking at him too, with those eyes that made Sherlock feel safe and home. He cleared his throat, his mind going a million miles a second and decided that it was best to be honest no matter the outcome.

“I have some news John” He said calmly, breathing slowly through his nose “You might find them unsettling, and you may think that I lied to you, or that I wasn’t completely honest, but in my defence I must say that I was cleared to share the news with you after our engagement” He locked gazes with John that was looking at him with fear in his eyes. Sherlock smiled at him trying to reassure his lover that the news weren’t that bad.

“These news are not bad; actually, they are pretty good; even if you think that I deceived you. I want you to know that it wasn’t my intention, and that I have a perfectly good explanation for it. I hope you find in your heart some forgiveness and comprehension towards me after hearing what I have to say” Sherlock took a deep breath, John looked calm but he could see confusion, anger, pain in his eyes. Sherlock prepared himself for the worst and decided that whatever had to be would be, and delaying the news would only make things worse.

“As you know, my brother Mycroft has always taken care of me in one way or another. He’s always been there, watching over me, making sure that I don’t relapse, that I’m safe, that I have enough money to survive; but the money that he provides me with is not his, is mine. As soon as he realised I had a drug problem, he froze my assets and declared me incapacitated to look over myself or my estate” Sherlock’s eyes flared with anger; that was just another reason he had to be angry with his brother.

“He was my proxy, and everything, from my health to my clothes, went through him and his approval; I wasn’t even able to buy a candy without him knowing about it, and that was the worst that could have ever happened to me, my life was no longer mine, and, some way, I was forced to get clean, or accept my brother’s constant intervention. The year I decided to get clean, Lestrade helped me, he gave me cases to keep me distracted while I was on rehab, and seven months later, my bother allowed me to leave the centre facilities and look for a flat” John was listening to Sherlock, he always wanted to know how he met Lestrade and what had happened between the Holmes brothers for them to act as if they hated each other.

“Since I had a few clients, and my monthly stipend was scarce, I couldn’t afford to live in London by myself; fortunately, I had helped Mrs. Hudson -you already know the story- and she graciously accepted me here, that all happened the day before I met you, I’d been sober for almost seven months. My brother tried to bribe you, as you probably recall, and you showed such loyalty that he decided to let me live with you and increased my monthly stipend and gave me a credit card.” John remembered how Shan thought he was Sherlock because of his credit card

“I don’t usually carry much cash, Mycroft makes sure that I have enough for cabs for the week, and even the month, but that’s about it, or was about it, before you. That’s why you always had to pay for cab rides, not because I’m selfish or inconsiderate, but because I never carried enough money. As you know, my clothes are delivered home, and most bills are paid in full within days through money transfers that my brother makes from my accounts, the rent is paid the same way” Sherlock was blushing, he had never been this honest with John. He felt embarrassed because he was considered unable to tend to his own necessities.

“Fortunately, after… everything, and since we got engaged, my brother transferred all my assets back to me, as long as I get you to sign some documents, with which you become my new proxy. If you don’t want any of it, Mycroft will ensure that all our expenses are covered; he bought two two one B with my money, and he has included you in the deed; the rent we pay will be now considered a monthly stipend for Mrs. Hudson, and the bills will be paid in full the same way that are paid now” Sherlock removed an envelope from his breast pocket and handed it to John, it contained his total assets, the deeds to the flat and a document that made John Sherlock’s new proxy.

John couldn’t believe it; Sherlock Holmes was incapacitated by his own bother. No wonder Sherlock was always angry with Mycroft; he was being treated like a child all the time; and now, Mycroft wanted to humiliate his brother more by making his future husband his proxy? John felt angry, he wasn’t angry with Sherlock, he was angry with Mycroft, he was always trying to control his brother in any way possible, but this was the worst way he could have ever imagine.

John read the documents that Sherlock gave him and was left dumfounded, Sherlock Holmes was an Earl and was loaded! He read the documents, and the proxy agreement stated that he was obligated to protect Sherlock by any means possible; it was more a marriage contract than anything, binding them for life. The terms were simple, keep Sherlock safe, the money was already under Sherlock’s name and all his properties, should John sign the deeds, will belong to both and their offspring, should they decide to adopt or have children in any way.

“Are you sure about this?” John asked looking at Sherlock with loving eyes “You know that I’ve always worked for what I want and what I need, and I’m capable to provide for you, for your every need, no matter how much I have to work”

“I’m perfectly aware, John” Sherlock breathed, finally! “I understand if you don’t want to be responsible for me” He was a little disappointed

“I don’t want your money Sherlock. I’m not marrying you for your money; I’m marrying you because I love you. I don’t care too much for money. Besides, as I told your brother so many years ago, I don’t need a bribery to be with you, I love you and I’ll always take care of you”

“Does that mean you agree with the terms?” Sherlock asked hopingly  

John stood from the table and went over to the desk, he signed all the papers and gave them back to Sherlock, if him signing the papers meant that Mycroft will leave Sherlock alone he would sign his own death sentence; besides, Sherlock should be free to do whatever he wanted with his money and his houses and especially his life; John would never let anything happen to Sherlock, he’ll protect him with his life.

Sherlock stood too and kissed John deeply; he surely wasn’t expecting this result; in his mind, by this hour, John had already left him, broken the engagement and called him a liar. John kissed him back, as tenderly as he was capable to kiss him, he fell more in love with Sherlock now that he was able to understand why his friend, lover and soon to be husband acted the way he acted most times. Now it was John’s turn to “spill the beans” and tell Sherlock all about “his” money,

He pulled away from Sherlock’s arms and went to the coffee table, and handed Sherlock the envelope that lay forgotten next to the pasta filled plates; John took a deep breath, he needed to muster up all the courage possible to tell Sherlock what had happened.

“What is this?” Sherlock asked reading Mary’s letter and the contents of the envelope, his eyes widening with the surprise of knowing that John was the sole heir of Mary’s fortune; she truly loved him, and Sherlock was grateful because she had managed to keep John alive while he was gone… If only things would have been different, if only Mycroft would have allowed him to tell John what was going to happen. If only… But everything was supposed to be better now, they were together and they had the rest of their lives to be together. 

“As you can read, Mary "left" me because of you, and she left everything to me. I had no idea the flat was hers, I just found out this afternoon, and I really had no idea how to tell you, that’s why I cooked your favourite. She left everything to me; she sold the flat, the car, everything, and her insurance…” John felt sad, but relieved at the same time. “Now we have more money that we can spend during our life time, and I really don’t know what to do about it” He looked at Sherlock as if the answer to his question could be found in his eyes.


	4. The right reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they shared their new financial status with each other, John and Sherlock share some fluffy, cluddly, sexy times

Sherlock pulled John to his chest and hugged him closely, it was unexpected news, not bad, not good either, because money usually causes problems, but that was their reality now, they’ll figure it out though, they were together, and that is what matters most. He kissed John softly on the cheek and looked at him not knowing what to say. Not in his wildest dreams he could have ever imagine being with John, and much less having more than enough money to do whatever they wanted to do, and it clicked.

“Let’s go around the world!” Sherlock startled a very comfortable John that was already kissing his neck

“And here I thought that you were silent because I was kissing you” John said jokingly

“I’m sorry John” he said kissing him fiercely leaving the good doctor breathless and wanting more

John moved his hand to those wonderful raven curls and pulled the detective for another kiss, his mind relaxing, finally, after a long, straining day; all his fears lifted from the back of his mind, knowing that Sherlock was open and honest with him, that he had finally trusted him enough to share his darkest and saddest secrets.

He pulled Sherlock gently to their room, never breaking the kiss while fumbling with his suit jacket and his shirt buttons. Sherlock was helping him to get rid of his vest and his shirt at the same time, throwing all their clothing wherever, not caring where it fell. The short distance to their room was covered in several minutes, because they will push each other against any surface available to grope and palm, pinch and kiss every naked piece of skin they were able to find.

Trouser and pants off, and nothing but a bed to receive them in their desperate need to consume each other, never fighting for top or bottom, though the doctor liked the giving side, he was fond of the sweetness that Sherlock had when John was on the receiving end of the bed. This time wasn’t different; Sherlock laid on his back on their bed and spread his legs to receive John, he pulled a pillow under his hips and locked gazes with his lover.

His mind was still grasping the last details of their conversation, all his fears gone, and for once, for the first time since their first time, he was truly open and willing for John, no more lies, no more fears, no more doubt, John was his fully, and forever; and he was John’s fully, and forever. John smiled at him and began the slow and sweet torture of kissing him until he couldn’t think, passing his fingers all over his skin and placing soft kisses everywhere.       

Sherlock was lost under John’s touch. He was certain that this would never happen again, that his John would never make love to him the way he was doing it now; and he was grateful to whatever deity helped him get John and keep him. They both were panting, sated and happy, no worries of any kind, just a wonderful future ahead, all problems solved and no more lies.

“I think the food has gone cold” Sherlock joked. John just laughed at his madman and kissed him softly.

“You said something about going around the world” John looked down at his madman, enjoying the sight of his lover under him.

“Yeah, I thought that I could show you all the places I went during those two years, but this time I won’t be running, or hiding, I’ll be with you and I’ll share them with you, as a way to heal us both; what do you think?” Sherlock kissed John’s chin, enjoying the closeness of their bodies being one; connected in such an intimate way.

“I love the idea, I want to know everything about those two years, I want to know how you did everything, what you were thinking, where you stayed, how long it took you to get to those people, and if I could have helped you in any way” John was kissing Sherlock’s neck, and he could feel his arousal growing inside Sherlock

Sherlock could feel it too, and began to move slowly, teasing John again. “Are you sure you want to visit those places and hear the whole story?” He was insecure, but he wanted to share everything with John, and now they could

“Of course I’m sure, I already told you, I want to know everything” John said thrusting into Sherlock, slowly, teasingly, building the passion again

“Then, I should take you everywhere” Sherlock whispered and began to pant, feeling the need build inside him. He kissed John and let his hips move along with John’s enjoying the slow and hard thrusts that his lover was gifting him with.

They soon were calling each other’s names and kissing madly and deeply, grabbing handfuls of hair and gasping for air.

“Now I’m certain the food is cold” Sherlock joked again. At this, John’s stomach answered with a small growl and they were soon on their feet, reheating the pasta and eating it in front of the telly, like they always did.

“There is one thing we have to discuss first” Sherlock said suddenly

“What is it, love?” John looked at him from the kitchen

“When should we leave?” Sherlock asked walking into the kitchen to hug John

“Let’s get married first, then we can leave, that gives me time to finish this term at University and it gives you time to talk to Greg and tell him you won’t be helping him for a while. We can leave right after the wedding if you like” John leaned into the embrace and felt Sherlock’s heart race in his chest

“You’re right, that gives me time to talk to Mycroft and my parents too” Sherlock kissed the top of John’s head

“Are you telling Mycroft?” John sounded a little angry, but was certain that Sherlock had his reasons to notify his brother

“He has to keep an eye on Hudders, you know?” Sherlock nuzzled John’s neck

“Right” John agreed and sighed, feeling Sherlock’s mouth on his neck “Bed love, we need our rest” John pulled Sherlock by the belt of his silk blue robe to the bedroom. Sherlock groaned but followed John, he enjoyed sleeping with him; no nightmares visited them since they started to sleep together.


	5. A very small wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Sherlock's wedding celebration. Just a small wedding, fit to both and just with the people they love

The time for their departure was approaching fast, they had arranged with Mycroft that he will check on Mrs. Hudson every week, and report to them if something went wrong; they also talked to Greg and Molly about their impending trip and asked them to keep an eye on each other, when needed. Just in case, John told Harry about their trip, but wasn’t actually very specific about his destination; although he was clear about their travel schedule and their many destinations and time on each one.

John and Sherlock went to visit Sherlock’s parents and told them all about their trip and that they might be gone for almost two years; that they wanted to visit every place possible before finally settling back in London. “We have to do this while we’re young” was Sherlock’s excuse; he didn’t lie about their trip, but wasn’t completely honest about it.

During a very private meeting with Mycroft, he asked his brother to keep an eye on them and thanked him for all the help; he knew that John would sign the documents once he saw what this “proxy” thing meant; that gave Sherlock a sense of security about his own life that he hadn’t had before; but it was important to him that they could be safe every time, and by any means.

Since the date for the wedding was set the very night Sherlock proposed, all they had to do was plan the wedding. It was to be a very simple ceremony; mostly family and the few real friends they had, followed by a simple but elegant dinner at Angelo’s and nothing more. They didn’t want the press following them or finding about their nuptials, it wasn’t necessary. Choosing Angelo’s for the reception ceremony was a no brainer, they both agreed that the place represented them best, the twenty guests that will be attending, including Angelo, would be very comfortable there.

On the other hand, choosing a venue for their marriage proved to be quite difficult, since Sherlock wanted the ceremony to be held at the morgue, where they first met, and John just shot a glare at him, using the silence treatment for about a week until the detective was forced to change his mind for a better, and more appropriate place, and the morgue wasn’t one, according to John. When Sherlock suggested Bart’s roof, John wanted to kill him with his bare hands; that was a very lonely week for the detective, having to try and sleep alone on the sofa.

Out of ideas, the detective decided it was best to leave the “bride” (another week on the sofa) to decide the venue; a discrete place for them to get married, no prying eyes, hidden from the public, and that could be performed in less than an hour. John kept on thinking about places, discarding immediately parks and rooftops, morgues and crime scenes. Mycroft came up with a solution, they could get married, very discretely at Diogenes Club, no fuss, and no press, and five black cars will be waiting for them and their guests to take them to Angelo’s after the ceremony.

Sherlock had to agree, grudgingly, as not to sleep another week away from his Doctor. Everything was planned, the food, the drinks, invitations were sent to their invitees, and all “rsvped”, including Harry, Bill Murray, Mike Stamford and James Sholto. Sherlock took John to his tailor, and their bespoke suits were delivered promptly a week before the weeding. John’s suit was dark blue with a white shirt and no tie, and Sherlock chose his typical black suit and the purple shirt that turned John’s brain into pudding, no tie; very simple and casual.

John decided to keep the white gold band Sherlock gave him as his wedding ring, the date of their nuptials engraved next to the phrase; and he chose to give Sherlock a white gold band engraved with the first words that Sherlock ever spoke to him “Afghanistan or Iraq” and the date of their wedding. Mummy Holmes was in charge of the rings and most of the wedding ceremony.

The officiant was ready, the grooms too. Molly was Sherlock’s best “man” and Greg was John’s. The grooms prepared their own vows and read them to each other in front of the small crowd in the discrete “Silence Room” of the Diogenes Club; a special permission allowed the seven women attending to be part of the ceremony (a woman in the premises, Dear Lord, what’s next? A gay wedding? If only they knew!)

When the time came, John decided he wanted to go first, that way, in case Sherlock would say something really sweet, he won’t be crying and his voice would be steady. Sherlock on the other hand, wasn’t nervous, but was excited, he had given a speech in front of the very same people once before during… never mind… but he had said that he loved John, loud and clear, now it was more serious and he could only hope that he could say what he wanted to say without making much of a show.

“My love” John began “I have no words with which to convey how much I love you. I feel that I’ve been waiting for you all my life; and I finally found you. You came to my life the exact moment I needed you, you saved me, so many times, in so many ways, and I’m grateful with life for bringing me to you. I never believed in fate until I met you. I used to think that nothing happened to me, nothing out of the ordinary, until you. The day you happened to me everything became clearer, the world was full of colour, and I could breathe again” John’s voice broke while the memories of their time together invaded his mind. He cleared his throat and continued with his speech “I can’t imagine my life without you for a second, and I’m so happy that from today we will be stuck together for the rest of our lives; that all I can vow to you, all I can promise to you, is to be by your side, always” John finished, feeling a lump on the back of his throat, and a few stray tears falling down his cheeks. He is such a sappy romantic

Sherlock squeezed John’s hand and cleaned the tears with his thumb. He looked at John and locked gazes with him, it was his turn. He tried to talk but his throat was closed with emotion and he had to breathe a couple of times before he could begin to speak.

“John, as I’ve said before, I am a ridiculous man, I still am dismissive of the beautiful and the virtuous, I still am the same obnoxious arsehole you first met, but at the same time, I’m a changed man. I have learned something about myself since I first meet you, and that is that I can love and that I can be loved. Your love has changed me, has made me aware of the wonders love brings to a man, to the fool that falls in love with you every second of every minute of every hour of every day. You’ve saved me so many times, in so many ways, sometimes not even realising that you’ve saved me, especially from myself. I’m amazed with your capability to love and forgive, to be there and share my many quirks, and to repeat, incessantly, how much you love them, how much you love me. Thank you, my love, for loving me the way you do, and for allowing me to love you back. I already made a vow to you, and as I said before that will be the one and only vow I’ll ever make, and that is to protect you, no matter what; to keep you safe, if necessary, with my own life”

The whole room was sobbing, and to Sherlock that reaction wasn’t expected, as it happened before… you know when… he wondered if he had said something wrong.

“John, did I do it wrong?”  

“No love, you didn’t, come here” John hugged him and kissed him softly. Sherlock kissed him back, almost forgetting where they were and what they were doing, until the officiant cleared his throat and asked if they should continue. Both nodded, and then exchanged rings, smiling at the engravings and at each other, they couldn’t be happier.

They left the Diogenes and went to Angelo’s, they shared a fantastic meal with their guests, a sobbing Violet approached them and asked John to call her “Mummy”, Siger hugged them, and gave John a short but meaningful speech about the meaning of patience, and then Mycroft congratulated them. He approached both and grinned at his brother before shaking John’s hand “Congratulations John” Mycroft leaned close to John’s ear “Break his heart and I’ll break your bones” he whispered and let go of John’s hand.  

Greg was a mess and Molly had to almost slap him to have him stop fidgeting and begin his best man speech so she could talk on behalf of Sherlock. She was emotional too, but controlled herself; she had to be calm, for everyone’s sake.

“When I first met John, I must say I didn’t really notice him. Sorry mate… I was worried about an apparent suicide, and just asked Sherlock to come with. At the crime scene and I’m sorry for what I’m about to say, again… I felt sorry for the poor sod that had followed Sherlock on his, let’s say, adventures. But then, I got to know John and I’m happy to say that I consider him a wonderful man, and my best friend. He has transformed Sherlock, and today I can say, without a doubt that thanks to the one and only John Watson, we witness the day that Sherlock Holmes becomes a good man. I still remember when I said those exact words to John, little did I know that he, and only he, would be the one to perform the miracle. I know I can’t compare this silly little speech to what Sherlock said in his vows, but I can assure you that John deserves Sherlock and Sherlock more than deserves John, they are both lucky to have found each other because they make each other better. Congratulations mates, you deserve to be happy, cheers!”

With that, he raised his glass and looked at the couple, they both were smiling at him, and John mouthed a silent thank you to his friend; he was moved by Lestrade’s words, he knew that he meant each and every one, and he too remembered that conversation they shared over six years ago. It was Molly’s turn; she cleared her throat and stood next to Sherlock, placing a hand on his shoulder, as to steady herself    

“When Sherlock came to the morgue I must say I was surprised with his attitude; the pompous prick that we all know and love… Sorry” She smiled down at her friend “As I was saying, the pompous prick that we all know and love was gone. His eyes were clear and soft, no more sadness could be seen on them; he had a look I never imagined I’ll ever see, he had a smile on his face and instead of being the cold arsehole he usually is, he was all nervous and fidgety. He told me all about his proposal, when, how and why he was going to do it, and I was really excited about it. My friend, because I consider Sherlock my friend, is happy, he described every detail as if he was describing the perfect crime scene, he had almost the same excitement, and I say almost the same because this time he was practically unrecognisable, all happiness and joy. Sherlock, you are a changed man, you are a better man, and I’m glad I can call you my friend; I want to thank you for choosing me to be your best “man”, that speaks highly of our relationship. John, you’re the luckiest man on this world, because you have in your hands the heart of a wonderful man. Take care of it, honour your vow and protect him. To the happy couple”

Molly finished her speech, and if looks could kill, John would have drop dead in the middle of the room. She liked John, and she had witnessed, first hand, Sherlock’s demeanour after the fall, calling for John in his sleep, looking sad and grey until he had to leave, and she had also witnessed John’s change, and how he looked after the fall, but she still resented John choosing Mary, but that was all in the past, now they were together and she was happy for her friend.

Speeches over, champagne rolling freely, except for Harry; Bill, Mike and James congratulated the couple, and little by little, Angelo’s restaurant was empty, the happy couple sharing a candle light after party dessert. They went to Baker Street thinking about tomorrow and their first destination: France.


	6. France. November 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My first stop after the fall was Paris... Mycroft got me out of London a week after the fall, he gave me a new identity and I left London via Calais... It was the longest train ride of my life...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the trip begins... Comments, as always, are very, very, welcome!

“My first stop after the fall was Paris” Sherlock began talking as soon as they climbed in the car that Sherlock had bought for them to travel around Europe. “Mycroft got me out of London a week after the fall, he gave me a new identity and I left London via Calais. He drove me to St. Pancras and gave me a fake passport and a credit card under the same name, just in case I might need more money. I couldn’t stay at fancy hotels, and most times I had to sleep on trains and eat at train stations, whenever I felt the need. He gave me a burner, and I wrote to you as soon as I left England. I made it look like it was a wrong number, but I needed to at least text you, to know if you were fine”

John remembered the texts he received, just a week after the fall, and how this stranger made him feel, the texts were comforting and he wanted to keep on talking with this stranger that apparently felt the same way he did.

“Why didn’t you tell me all about the plan?” John inquired, more curious than angry; he already knew parts of the story, after watching the interview Sherlock gave Anderson.

“I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to tell you, and I even asked Mycroft to let you know, but it needed to be as real as possible, you were in danger, and so was Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson, I couldn’t put any of you in danger; it had to appear that I had actually died; we couldn’t have you three acting any other way than grievers. We calculated part of the effect of my fall in your relationship with them, including the possibility of you moving out from Baker Street and shutting yourself down from the rest of the world. Though a miscalculation from my part was to think that I’ll be back in less than six months and all will be sorted out” Sherlock looked sad

“And why didn’t you tell me anything after your six months mark?” John held Sherlock’s hand while they waited in the London traffic to go to Dover; they wanted to be in Paris before dark. Even if it was a six hour drive, Sherlock wanted to talk to John without interruptions or prying ears and eyes on them. This was a serious conversation, and John had the right to ask him to stop if he wanted to leave, in a train they barely had a couple of hours and their conversation was long, and long overdue. For a moment, Sherlock regretted being married, their marriage limited John’s actions; then he felt grateful that their new marital status somehow forced John to at least try and be with him.

“Because I was in China at the time. I thought that I might die, so I texted you while I was hiding on a factory, from another burner phone. I was about to surrender and let them find me when you wrote me back, telling me that you missed me and that you wanted for me to come home, that you believed in me. It made me refocus and I barely escaped them. Thanks to you” Sherlock kissed John’s hand while he drove, fearing for a fleeting second that he might move his hand away; but John squeezed his hand back, as if encouraging Sherlock to continue the story.

“What happened after you left London?” John continued asking, trying to swallow the bitter feeling of pain that invaded his entire body thinking about everything Sherlock went through to keep him safe.

“It was the longest train ride of my life” Sherlock sighed, keeping his eyes on the road, and remembering exactly how he felt the moment he was out of England. “I arrived in Paris, at Gare du Nord and a few of Mycroft’s people were waiting for me. They had already located the net that operated under Moriarty’s command. So I was sent to the catacombs first, to have a “chat” with my Parisian homeless network. I spent four nights on the catacombs waiting for information, I had to look haggard, and that was being accomplished by not sleeping or eating for the whole four days. After they trusted me enough I got the name of the person I needed to contact to destroy the French network. But it took me almost three weeks of running around Paris to take them all down”

John grimaced, he did notice that Sherlock looked thin when he arrived, and he wanted to punch himself in the face after he remembered how he received his friend.

“Don’t worry John, I’m going to eat all you want me to eat during this trip, and I’m going to sleep all you want me to sleep too” Sherlock said trying to comfort his husband; after all, it was the least he could do after all they went through, try to make John happy by all means possible.

“I know you will, love” John said looking outside the window, admiring the landscape. Sherlock began to tell him all about the sights, every little town became a rest stop to indulge John’s need to take photos, to go to the loo, to eat a treat, Sherlock would comply, their trip to Paris became more of a road trip than anything, the destination was one, sure, but their time together was more important than Sherlock driving for more hours than needed.

John was like a child, everything was interesting and new, and Sherlock enjoyed the gift that John was giving him; them being together and him being able to spend this time with John. When they arrived to the Coast of Dover, Sherlock began talking again. After all, the ferry trip would take them a couple of hours, and it was a nice time to share some more facts about his European “tour”; they’ll be on French soil in no time.

“During those three weeks, I had to hide myself in cemeteries, graveyards, churches, bedsits and homeless shelters. It was better, because I could keep a low profile. My contacts in France made sure that I wasn’t being followed and would tell Mycroft of my whereabouts on a weekly basis, with me having to pretend to be a homeless in a foreign country and all” Sherlock was holding John close to him, as much as he could, he needed to feel John’s body heat, as he remembered the cold nights in which he had to wander through Paris.

John kissed him softly, as if to make sure that if this was a dream, he wouldn’t wake up. He was happy that Sherlock would finally trust him enough to tell him all about those two years they were away from each other. They looked over the ocean, saying a silent goodbye to London for the next two years. It sure was going to be exhausting, but they’ll be together, besides, this trip will mean everything if they could make it, if not, it would mean that they don’t belong together.

John leaned on Sherlock’s chest and felt his heartbeat, he felt utterly happy and sad at the same time, he wanted to make this trip a healing trip for both, and as Sherlock has proved him along the two hours they drove; he was willing to do whatever was needed for John to be happy.

They talked about what they will be visiting during this trip, of course this time Sherlock won’t be sleeping on the catacombs, and won’t be running around Paris like a homeless. They decided to stay at a hotel near the Eiffel tower and walk Paris for the next two weeks. As soon as they were out of the ferry, Sherlock decided to treat his husband by showing him as much as he could of France. They made several stops along the road, taking photographs and enjoying the trip, chatting about nonsenses most of the time. They needed to lift their hearts a bit before their arrival to Paris.

They visited Berck and John was happy to see the ocean, he would share his childhood memories about his visits to Brighton and the hours he spent on Afghanistan wishing he could hear the ocean, instead of seeing just sand surrounding him.

“I remember one particular night” John said looking out the car window “It was during a night scouting, we had to dig fox holes near the road to spend the night. The sky was clear, a billion stars shining. I had the last guard shift, but I couldn’t sleep all night. I kept on thinking about the stars and how you could never see them from London. And I had the chance to see the first lights of the morning and the stars disappear slowly with the first sun beams, and I remembered one night when I was ten, my parents took us to Brighton for the summer and I spent the night at the beach counting stars, and I could see the sunrise that day too. For a second, before hearing the Foxhound starting and feeling the hot sun burning my skin, I felt like I was ten years old again, and I felt peaceful” He looked at his husband smiling at him, I t was a nice memory he had from those days in the desert.

Sherlock stopped the car and got out, he went to John’s side and helped him out, they shared a long kiss overlooking the ocean; it was a moment for just the two of them. The next stop was Amiens, and John was fascinated with the colourful town. The houses reminded him of London, somehow. Sherlock was happy to follow John, and they decided to spend the night in the little town. They visited the Boulevard du Cange and the cathedral, the Picardy museum, and they spent the night at a little hotel, making love all night.

The next morning, they left in the early morning and in less than an hour they were at Beauvais, the next big town. They visited The Cathedral of St. Pierre and The Museum of L’Oise. John was feeling happy, and he kissed Sherlock every block they walked; his Detective speaking French was another thing. They had some coffee at one of the many cafés they found in the little town and Sherlock drove directly to Paris after that. Most towns along the road were similar to one another, and John had the camera’s memory full of photos of the two of them along the way.

John spent the whole hour transferring all the photos to the computer and chatting about the delights of the trip; Sherlock telling John the histories of the towns and John listening to him intently. As soon as they pulled at their hotel in Paris; John went to their room and left the computer, he got the other battery for the camera and off they went to visit Paris.


	7. Paris: November 2nd - November 4th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys arrive to Paris and a case is waiting for them. Easy solved, but not without danger, and also some sightseeing

Sherlock took John’s hand and lead him to Gare du Nord first. He had promised John to do everything the way he did as soon as he arrived to Paris; and Gare du Nord was the first stop. They walked for almost an hour, John pointing to everything like a kid in a toy store. Sherlock had arrived to Paris in the last train of the night and his contacts were waiting for him at the station. After that, he had to change in one of the restrooms at the station and leave his bespoke suit, his black and blue scarf and his Belstaff with them, and put on some ragged jeans and a jumper

“You would have loved the jumper” He teased, but John wasn’t amused.

“And you had to walk for another hour to get to the catacombs?” John asked as they walked again.

“Yes, I needed to remember my French, and visiting the streets helped me get acquainted with the city; I had to memorise Paris in less time that I had to memorise London and a vagabond couldn’t be seen with a map” Sherlock answered, worrying his lower lip.

“And your “contacts” how they helped you?” John asked holding Sherlock’s hands and entwining their fingers

“One of them dressed as a homeless too. The other one was dressed as a tourist, and he did had a map, just in case I needed to borrow it”

“Can you tell me their names?”

“Of course. The guys that helped me are Jacques and Paul. By the way, we can meet them if you want. They said they’ll be waiting for me if I ever visited France again”

“That’s nice, maybe before we leave to our next destination”

“Sure, that can be done”

“And while you walked to the catacombs what did you memorise?” John looked at his genius wondering how many maps of how many countries he had in his mind

“I memorised street names, mostly, and also alternate routes in case I needed to run from the catacombs to the safe place at Gare du Nord” Sherlock explained John

“A safe place? At the station?” John was certainly curious

“Yes, we agreed that if in case any of us was in imminent danger we should head to Gare du Nord and call from there asking for extraction, although as Mycroft explained to me during my last week in London, this mission wasn’t exactly about surviving, so I knew that they will be “extracted” but I had to keep going, an international affair of sorts needed to be stopped immediately” Sherlock explained to a pained looking John “Don’t worry love. I took care of myself as much as possible; thinking about you helped a lot. You were my main objective and that’s why I’m here today” He kissed John’s forehead.

John embraced him, and felt his heart beating, he kissed Sherlock’s chest and held his wrist, every now and then he needed to make sure that Sherlock was with him.    

“And you agreed to risk your life that way… for me?” John was moved, tears stinging his eyes and his heart beating fast and wild in his chest

“There was no other reason for me to do it. I could have just disappeared and leave London for a while, but if I wanted to be with you, even just as friends, and keep you safe, I had to pretend, and fight for you. I’m sorry John, so very sorry”

“Don’t apologise, never again. I fully understand now. Don’t ever worry about it. I’ve nothing to forgive you, I have to thank you for fighting for me, for us, and for coming back home to me” John kissed Sherlock tenderly, conveying all his love in that one kiss

“I love you, John”

“I love you, Sherlock”

“Ah, here” Sherlock pulled John to an entrance, the catacombs were there and they went in without paying; a few homeless recognised Sherlock and went to him to greet him effusively. He talked to them in French and introduced John to them. He kept saying “mon mari” so John assumed he was introducing him as his husband. He finally had learned two French words…

After a while, one of the homeless approached Sherlock, she was crying profusely and Sherlock tried to calm her down, she could barely speak and Sherlock looked concerned. After a while they went over to other homeless that gathered at the catacombs and John could tell he was looking for someone or something. In the end, they left the catacombs and Sherlock hailed a cab.

“Where are we going love?” John was concerned, they were changing their plans.

“A girl is missing” Sherlock answered looking for something on his phone “Pantin Bobingy s’il vou plait” he ordered the cabbie. After a while they arrived to a cemetery on the outer parts of Paris. John was silent during the ride, Sherlock looked worried and it wasn’t that common for the detective being in such a state of mind “This is one of the cemeteries I had to sleep the second week I was here. I had to walk for about two hours or so. I don’t want you to get tired, and I need your help finding that little girl. Sorry John for changing our original plans”

“It’s okay love, how may I help?” John asked, worried about the girl too

“Pretend to be lost, here take this map and stand at the main entrance at the cemetery; I’ll pretend to help you, we can pretend you’re looking for the tomb of Jean Pierre Melville”, that way I can contact some people and ask about the girl without raising much interest. I’ll leave you at the main gate and I’ll walk back. Wait there for me” He asked and kissed John

Once at the main gate John did as Sherlock asked, he went over to one of the guards and asked for help, but between their half English and his non-existent French, John was more than lost. But he saw Sherlock approaching, he had a back pack and his characteristic coat nowhere to be seen. He looked like another French man, more attractive obviously, but he did have a French air to him.

He entered the cemetery and looked at John, at this, John asked again about the tomb and Sherlock offered to help. They went over many tombs until they found the one Sherlock was looking for. There was a stone with a name Marthe Erbelding; he left a note and a fifty and winked at a gardener that was passing by. The gardener recognised him and smiled, but Sherlock just shook his head and signalled to the note. The gardener took it and left.

“The two or three nights I stayed here, I was looking for drug dealers. And no, just so you know, I didn’t use anything; I was already hyper focused on the case. The gardener that recognised me, he helped me find one of the dealers, after that, he helped me follow him, helping me hide here for a couple of nights. After that, all pieces fell into place and I could find the boss, though it took me another week to take him down and also a broken rib, but it was totally worth it, he gave all the information about the Berlin network”

“Totally worth it? A broken rib totally worth it?” John was bewildered, he couldn´t believe what he was hearing

“Yes, he thought I was unconscious after he punched me and beat me, and he received a call from one of his dealers, he said that he had finished with me, and he left me alone for a moment in his office. He went to look for the guy that had called him, and since he had no idea I spoke French, he talked freely about a shipment to be sent under Moriarty's orders to Berlin in three days, I even had the contact’s name! They left me there, locked at the office, and when the guy that called came back to take me I called my contacts and he was taken to the hospital, and then prison. I received some help and then left to Germany that very night”

“It wasn’t worth it, Sherlock, you could have died!” John looked at him with horror. Sherlock just hugged him; there was nothing left to do

“Let’s go love” Sherlock said, holding John close by the waist. “Now we wait”

“Where are we going now?” John snuggled closer to Sherlock. It was over, and he was alive. 

“I thought it could be nice to do some site seeing while we’re here. Care to go to the Louvre?”

“I’d love to” John beamed.

They took another cab and Sherlock, prepared as always, used the tickets he bought online and they spent the whole afternoon at the museum. Before entering, they ate at one of the many restaurants surrounding the museum, and John was happy to see his husband eat, as promised. Once in the museum, John was astounded, he couldn’t believe his eyes, they went to see the Mona Lisa and the David; Sherlock explained every room, watching the amazement in John’s eyes, feeling happy to be able to give him everything he could, including his life.  

The afternoon went rapidly and they made their way back to their hotel. After a nice bath and some room service dinner, they were ready to go to bed when Sherlock’s phone chimed, it was a text from the gardener; he had some information about the abducted girl. They agreed to meet in an hour at the cemetery.

They pulled at the cemetery, and the cabbie looked at them as if they were aliens. “Bloody brits” the cabbie said before they climbed out of the cab. John and Sherlock laughed, if only the cabbie knew who they were. The gardener was waiting for them at the gates, he handed an envelope to Sherlock, and the latter gave him another fifty. The gardener was glad to see him; he thought he had died after they took them to the den. He left them after a while and Sherlock took John’s hand and they went to a Park; according to Sherlock the park was called Georges Valbon.

There, another “homeless” was waiting for them; a skater had some information about the kidnaper, it was another homeless guy that had a debt with a dealer, and the dealers were looking for girls to prostitute. The girl in question was fifteen, and she was priced very highly, apparently she was very beautiful, her blue eyes and rosy skin made her “desirable”. She was to be presented tomorrow night at one of the nightclubs. Now they had to go to the club, and help the girl out.

They returned to the hotel after that, and John helped Sherlock device a plan. Sherlock called Jacques and Paul and told them all about the case, they will help them tomorrow night with the stake-out, and they will call the police to arrest the dealer and the addict that had kidnapped the girl. They were both excited about it, they loved solving cases and helping people, but they were tired too; as soon as their heads hit the pillow, they were both fast asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning, Sherlock woke John up with soft kisses and breakfast in bed, some croissants and strawberry jam, tea and coffee. They were on their honeymoon after all. After some morning sex, they went out and visited the catacombs again, this time as tourists; they walked hand in hand, and after a while, they went to visit the homeless woman that asked for help. Sherlock had to tell her that he had no idea where her daughter was but that he was looking for her; it was a necessary lie in order to keep everyone out of the blue.

They strolled over some bridges and went for lunch at some café near their hotel, they spent their afternoon site seeing, waiting for Jacques’ call about the club; and visited the Eiffel tower; John, ever the romantic, took several photos of Sherlock under the sunset, they shared a coffee and waited for the call. By nine, they were on a cab that took them to a rather fancy club near Pont Alexandre III. In there, John had to pretend to be looking for a fun night, and he had to choose the new girl; he flared a couple hundreds to the bouncer and he was inside the bar; Sherlock on the other hand, went in through the back door, it was imperative that no one would relate John to him.

Sherlock located the girl and notified John; he sent a picture of the girl John was supposed to pick. At midnight the show began; Sherlock was ready to help his husband leave with the girl, pretending that she had hit him in the head; the police was outside the club waiting for them, all they needed was to make sure that John would get the girl first.

He threw ten one hundred bills on the table and “purchased” the girl; he moved to a room, but there was a problem, they had security cameras all over the place, except for the rooms (he hoped). If a camera captured Sherlock they will be in so much trouble! Inside the room he tried to calm the girl, but his French was non-existent, so he called Sherlock and handed his mobile to the girl. Sherlock asked her to be calm, that she would be freed in a little while; John told him about the cameras and it took Sherlock longer to arrive to the room.

John heard pounding on the door and had to pretend that he wanted the girl for another hour and give another thousand to be left alone. The girl sat on the bed for a while not knowing what to do; when a disguised Sherlock arrived to the room, he called John and they pretended to struggle; Sherlock took John’s wallet and mobile and left and “unconscious” John in the room. The girl escaped through the window, but before Sherlock could leave, a guard came in and fired a gun.

Fortunately he didn’t hit Sherlock, but he had to step away from the window. At this, the police went inside the bar and helped both of them, John had to pretend to be unconscious all the time, but his blood was boiling in his veins, he wanted to kill the arsehole that shot his husband. When he attempted to move he could hear Sherlock asking him not.

Once the police entered the room, John could feel relief wash over him. As soon as the guard was arrested, John stood and went to check on his husband

“You okay?” He asked, franticly patting him all over.

“Yes, John, don’t worry, it was just a scare. I’m fine” Sherlock answered letting John check him everywhere

“Let’s get out of here, I’m tired” John urged Sherlock to his feet. He took his hand and lead him out of the room, before going out, Sherlock walked out first, just to keep their cover-up; a minute later, John was out the door, acting confused and lost, asking for his wallet. They found him a cab, and a block after, Sherlock climbed on the same cab and they went to their hotel.

They decided to sleep late the next day, so they shared a bath, they kissed for a while and watched some telly, trying to calm their nerves. It was a close one; two days in Paris and they were running for their lives; John loved it! And Sherlock was more than happy to see his Doctor so happy.


	8. Lost and found. November 4th to November 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John gets to know the people that helped Sherlock in Paris, and Sherlock gets to know his John a little more, though some memories are hard to share. John discovers that Sherlock had suffered more than he ever let anyone know, and Sherlock discovers, once again; John's infinite capability to love and forgive

The next eight days, Sherlock took John to visit some of the shelters he stayed in; after the visit, the afore mentioned places received anonymous donations that would help less fortunate people get back on their feet. They also did some more sightseeing; they took the car and went to the Fontainebleau forest for the day, returning to Paris late at night. Before the second week was over; Sherlock took John to Le Mans. They stopped at Chartres for a while, they visited the cathedral the gardens and the museum of fine arts; they had lunch at one of the restaurants near the cathedral. John’s face was pure bliss for Sherlock, he never imagined that John would have a heart for antiques and old churches; he certainly looked like a child in a candy shop. And he had depleted the camera battery in less than two hours, thankfully Sherlock was prepared and handed him a new memory card and another battery.

“I remember I used to go to London with my mum and visit the castles from the outside, I always wanted to go to Buckingham Palace. I also liked to go to the cathedral; the air inside is different, more solemn somehow, that’s why I like old buildings and churches, I even like old cemeteries, like the ones we visited in Paris. It’s nothing morbid, or anything like that, I just enjoy the silence and tranquillity you can find in most old places” John said suddenly to Sherlock as he drove to Le Mans. “I guess it has something to do with the three years I spent in Afghanistan, just sand and destroyed buildings” he sighed.

Sherlock looked at him tenderly, he knew very little about John, that is, very little in the sense that they barely shared their life history with one another over the past five years, only bits that helped them move along. But now they had two years to share as much as possible, to really get to know each other. Sherlock was grateful that John decided to be so open about his life.

“Why did you decide to go in the military?” Sherlock pried a little

“It was an easy way to pay for med school, but I ended up liking it; after a while it was easier to be away than facing what was happening back home”

“You mean Harriet?”

“Not only her; my mum and dad too”

“What about them?”

“We have two years, and you have to tell me where we are going”

“Le Mans. And here is the turn I have to take”

“And why are we at Le Mans?” John was more than curious

“Because you like bikes”

“And what does Le Mans has to do with bikes?”

“It’s a surprise”

They arrived to Le Mans, and after checking at their hotel they went to visit the town. The next morning, Sherlock took John to the race track and managed to get him a Grand Prix bike for him and they tried a lap. John was beyond happy, he loved riding bikes and this was a wonderful present. After spending three days at Le Mans, they went to Vendôme, but by now, John was done with old houses. They spent the afternoon strolling around town kissing and holding hands.

“I miss Paris” John said

“I planned three more stops but we can go directly to Paris”

“Three more? Where?”

“Well, I was planning on going to Orléans, Champagne and Reims. Interested?”

“I might be. But… Why those places?”

“I like Orléans. Before I went to Germany I ended up in Orléans, It was sort of a rest stop for me. It’s rather quiet and tranquil, it’s green and it made me think of you. There is a Park, called “La Source”, it’s filled with flowers and there is a place where you can see butterflies and bees. I was able to think, relax for a day before going to battle again; it helped me to get better from the beating too. I felt so lost, but then I found an orchid that made me think of you”

“An orchid?”

“Yes, a blue orchid that reminded me of your eyes. I think that was the day I realised I needed you more than I’ve ever admitted to myself. I knew that my mission was to keep you safe; in a way I always felt that your life was more important to me than my own; but that day, when I saw that orchid, I knew that you were my life, that without you I was nothing. I was so lost, and you helped me find myself in you”

“I love you, Sherlock” John took Sherlock’s free hand and kissed it. That was the most wonderful love confession ever.

“I love you, John. Always” Sherlock blushed, he was just getting used to all the demonstrations of affection, and he loved them

“So, Orléans… And are we going to the park?”

“Of course, you have to see your orchid”

Once in Orléans they went to the park, they saw the flowers, the bees and ended up in the butterfly pavilion. They decided to stay in Orléans for a couple of nights; and for the first time, they didn’t need to have sex to actually make love. They spent the whole night talking about bees and flowers; John was fascinated with Sherlock, listening to every word intently. He was amazed with the knowledge Sherlock had about types of honey, bees and flowers; he was almost an encyclopaedia. The next day they visited the Cathedral, and John listened to Sherlock talk about Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orléans. He wished he could read in French, and Sherlock took up on him to teach his husband some French words and promised to teach him how to read in French.

Two days later, they were at their next stop; Châlons-en-Champagne. It was a tipsy one. They tried some champagne and they had to spend the night at “Le Ville”. The next day they took a ride on the tourist train and visited, more at Sherlock’s insistence than John’s, the cathedral, he was adamant about getting a photo of each cathedral they visited, so they’ll have as many memories as possible.  

At Reims they tried some more champagne, and found a friend. They never expected to see Mike Stamford and his wife there. It was their anniversary trip, and they shared a nice dinner with the man that introduced them. According to Mike; he and his wife would choose a new destination every year, and this anniversary it was Reims. They got tickets for the Opera and shared the night with Mike. He was excited to see them there; he really thought that it might take more time to see his friends again.

They told Mike’s wife how Mike introduced them, and almost their entire history together; omitting, obviously what happened during the dark ages, as they decided to call their hiatus. They visited other cathedrals, of course, and John had so many photos by then that it was easier to get new memory cards than downloading the images to his poor computer. The next day they parted ways, John and Sherlock had an important dinner at Paris and they had to be there that night; fortunately, the trip was relatively short, and John could rest as soon as they arrived to their hotel. He was feeling the effect of the cold winter on his bones.

Once in Paris, Sherlock checked on the girl that was abducted, and he was happy to see that her mother had decided to keep a job and help her, finally. The _municipale_ were very grateful to Sherlock, and he was rewarded for his job capturing the traffickers, they had kidnaped several girls in order to prostitute them. Unknowingly, Sherlock ended with a human trafficking network that had branches in Europe for a long time now.

Sherlock asked not to be mentioned, he didn’t want to be in danger during his honeymoon; the French police force understood completely; but they gave him a reward anyway. That night, Jacques and Paul were waiting for them at Montmartre. They were very nice, and so were their wives. The night Jacques and Paul met John, they barely had time to talk, but this time, John was pleased to get to know the people that kept Sherlock alive while he was in France.

“This guy here’s a genius” Jacques said patting Sherlock’s back

“I know” John said holding Sherlock’s hand in his.  

Sherlock blushed, and tried to hide his face in John’s neck, but his ears were a total give away.

“The only time I saw him act the way he’s acting now was when I caught him looking at your picture one night” Paul teased “He kept talking about this “John” and we wanted to see you, but he said it wasn’t safe;  one night that we were at the catacombs, he had a piece of paper and kept talking to it, at first I thought it was nonsense, but after a while I realised he was asking for forgiveness and saying to the picture that it all was because he needed this “John”. Now I know what he meant”

This time John blushed and he couldn’t help but kiss his husband senseless. The whole table cheered for them, but they didn’t mind; with every passing day, John fell more in love, if possible, with Sherlock, and Sherlock couldn’t help but be head over heels for John.

“I’m so glad you’re finally together” Jacques said to them. “Congratulations to both, for finally making it”

“When do you leave?” Paul asked, “Because I would like you to meet William”

“William?” they asked curious

“My son, I named him after you, because of you we got a huge promotion at Interpol, and my wife and I are very grateful with you for saving my life. Remember that night at the Seine, when they almost broke your leg?”

John glanced at Sherlock, his eyes a mixture of anger and concern

“I haven’t told John about that night” Sherlock looked down.

Paul looked away; the tension could be cut with a knife

“It was during a night chase. We were on the traffickers’ heels and they held Paul at gun point, they thought he was me, much like when the Chinese smugglers when they kidnaped you” Sherlock continued

“And?” John tried to breathe

“Well, we were on a bridge over the Seine, I was planning on taking you there tomorrow to tell you what happened, it was at Pont des Invalides. Paul was helping me during that stake-out. He was supposed to be the “bird”, but one of the kids that were supposed to help us during the exchange bailed and we were left alone. They shot Paul and threw him to the river; thankfully he was wearing a vest, or else. But they also hit him in the head and he was unconscious when he hit the water. I had to jump to save him, but before I could, I had to fight with the dealer. He tried to throw me over the bridge, and I hit my leg badly. Jacques captured him and I jumped to get Paul… and that is that”

“And after?”

“I was captured and they took me to that office I told you about, where I found all about the German network; Paul pretended to be dead, and he was able to call Jacques. I’m sorry John”

John just kissed Sherlock, being angry and worried wasn’t productive, besides, Sherlock was being more honest than John could have ever imagined. “We are supposed to leave in two days, so I guess that we have plenty of time to meet William” John said locking gazes with his husband. “I guess there’s no need for us going to the damned bridge, so lunch tomorrow?”

Paul just nodded. He couldn’t believe that THE Sherlock Holmes was saying he was sorry! They chatted for a couple more hours and soon it was time to leave. John took Sherlock’s hand and hailed a cab; he wanted to go to the hotel and hold his husband, kiss every scar and revere them.


	9. A brief love interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> November 20th: Just some sexy times between the boys, lots and lots of lusty love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could be read as a standalone

They arrived to their hotel and John was desperate to take Sherlock to bed; he needed to feel him in as many ways as possible, there was something about that hidden soft side of Sherlock that rendered John incapable of controlling himself, and images of them making love came rushing to his mind and he needed Sherlock, not only emotionally but physically.

He divested his husband slowly, revering every scar, kissing every patch of skin. He kept enough control to please his husband as much as possible, instead of ravishing him with his almost feral need. Sherlock let John do what he wanted; he knew that it was best to do so.

Soon, he was naked, squirming under John’s touch, he tried to undress John, but John swat his hands away and undressed himself rapidly. He laid next to Sherlock and caressed him softly, touching every scar reverently, feeling them with the tips of his fingers. There was no urgency, he had enough time; he had his whole life to do the same, every night if he wanted to do so.

He moves his hands up and down, letting his body move naturally against Sherlock’s, kissing every inch of skin, going from his earlobe trailing a path down to his ankles and going up again, stopping for a couple of minutes at Sherlock's throbbing length, giving a long lick along the shaft, feeling in his tongue how it moves and pulses with need. He takes Sherlock fully in his mouth and smiles around him, enjoying the reaction he has on him.

Sherlock’s breathe hitches and he chokes a moan that manages to escape his lips, before he calls John with his deep voice, encouraging him to speed up, to swallow; to move his mouth around him; but John has other plans and he just enjoys the moment, teasing Sherlock further, driving him to a state of mind where he no longer controls all his thoughts, and is rendered mindless under John’s touch.

John finally releases him and moves up his body, straddling him, while he kneels between his legs and watches the real Sherlock, the one that he loves and cares for most. The sensitive creature that is putty in his hands, the soft spoken and almost innocent man that gives him the chance to see him as he truly is, vulnerable and loving. He moves his hands under the pillow, knowingly, looking for that little bottle that Sherlock always hides under it.

Triumphant, he gets the bottle and opens it, obtaining the oh so desired liquid and pouring some on his hand, while the other travels up and down Sherlock’s length, keeping the interest, the arousal, filling his eyes with the wonderful sight that unravels in front of him. He wraps his hand around himself, a couple of strokes suffice to wet him enough and to send a shiver down his spine, he can’t hold it anymore, and Sherlock is willing

Slowly, as if it were the first time, he pushes himself inside his lover, feeling how the muscle loosens and opens up for him, receiving him in that warm haven that is Sherlock. He moves slowly, wanting to feel everything, his arms on each side of Sherlock’s head, looking at him, locking gazes; as he thrusts slowly, softly, in and out, one, two, ten, twenty times, slowly, hitting the same spot every time, watching Sherlock’s pupils blown up, hearing his breath quicken, and feeling his body heat up with every thrust.

He moves his lips to Sherlock’s mouth, and kisses him, softly, feeling his lips, using his tongue to taste him, never quickening his pace, closing his eyes to enjoy the delicious flavour of Sherlock’s mouth, and he allows his mouth to travel further down, to Sherlock’s neck, and enjoys the effect he has, feeling his pulse, going faster, and faster, and he feels the need to move faster, and do as Sherlock demands, go faster, harder, deeper

“More, more, more” Sherlock begs “Deeper, harder, faster” He moans “I need you John, I love you, John” He sighs, and John loses the little bit of mind he has left, and goes deeper, and harder and faster, and fills Sherlock with his movements, as his lips kiss and suck Sherlock’s neck, enjoying every sound, and his hands travel up and down Sherlock’s sides, holding his hips, and his legs, moving rhythmically together, like one body, one soul, one desire.

Sherlock finishes, untouched, like every time John decides to have him the way he does, calling John’s name, one, two, ten times, and John follows shortly behind, breathless, whispering Sherlock’s name, kissing him softly, both trying to breathe through each other’s lips, never breaking the kiss, closing their eyes to allow themselves to gather their thoughts, to learn how to breathe again, to come down to earth from this heavenly bliss that is coming together.

Their hips eventually come to a full stop, and John is lost in the scents that their bodies produce that all he has left is to hold Sherlock close to ground himself again, to come down the cloud they have created, letting the bubble explode and bring him down to reality; the reality of Sherlock’s body under him, flushed, sated, sweaty, and simply gorgeous.

He licks a few droplets of sweat from Sherlock’s neck and hums with pleasure, Sherlock, as always, tastes heavenly, no other flavour can compare to the one Sherlock has after sex. He feels Sherlock relax and breathe easily, and he pulls out of him, watching Sherlock pout. John knows what Sherlock likes, but he needs to move, to reconnect his brain to his body, to be able to breathe fully again, fearing to be too mesmerized by the siren like voice Sherlock has, that he would never be able to think about anything else but making love to Sherlock.

He has to smile, his brain orders his mouth to smile, but all he manages is a lopsided grin, half his brain is still off, and is asking for more; but his body needs time, and his brain manages to wait for a few more minutes, and finally turns fully on. He holds Sherlock close and kisses him sloppily. Sherlock needs time too, to cool down a bit, to recuperate some strength.

He leaves the bed and goes to the bathroom, some water is needed to clean the mess they are, and also to rehydrate them after their activities. More than an hour has passed since they began; their stamina in full thanks to all the sex having, love making and Paris walking.

He cleans Sherlock with the same love he always does. And enjoys the soft sighs Sherlock produces whenever the fabric touches his sensitive skin, and he knows Sherlock is thankful for the slightly cold rag and the time span, even when he pouts. Now he can fully smile and look at his gorgeous man relax, once again under his touch. All that is left now is to start all over again, but this time, John knows that Sherlock will want to go faster, harder, moving over John, controlling him for many minutes to come, until joy and bliss will fill them again, and they will be fighting to get air in their lungs, all over again.

To John’s surprise, Sherlock takes his time, prepares John slowly, savouring him, his gorgeous mouth getting the filthiest sounds out John’s, making him sweaty and having him panting heavily again. Sherlock rides John, enjoying and elongating the minutes, taking his breath away and making him move his hands all over his back, getting handfuls of locks while his mouth desperately tries to possess Sherlock’s.

They finish again, falling willingly into the bliss that fills them, feeling each other’s body moving encompassed, coming up and down, breathing each other slowly, lovingly; murmuring words of love against each other’s lips. This time it takes John’s brain longer to get back, too lost in Sherlock’s eyes to even think straight. He knows that those eyes are telling him all the words of love unwritten and impossible to be said, being any language useless to convey what that look says.

They fall into bed, not wanting to move; and Sherlock getting his way; having John fully sated and inside him. They lay there, adoring each other, no words needed, until Morpheus finally calls him to rest in the green pastures and blue skies that Sherlock’s eyes give him.


	10. Germany: November 21st to November 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Germany secrets revealed, and a broken heart Sherlock left on the way...

The next morning, John and Sherlock had a late brunch and an early sex fest, sore muscles, protesting for the lack of enough rest, but the need is superior to the pain, and there is no better drug than love to heal whatever pain they might feel. A fast brunch is required and so is a quick shower, they have to go to Saint Denis to visit Paul and his son, William.

The lunch is uneventful, the three year old is sweet and John looks at the baby with longingness, and Sherlock knows that sooner rather than later, they’ll have to talk about offspring. The boy is delighted to meet Sherlock, he is clever and insightful, and John enjoys the look in his husband’s eyes when they boy touches his cheekbones and looks into those watercolour eyes trying to decide if they are blue, green or grey or all of them at the same time.

They left the family and went back to the hotel, they had to pack and John wanted to say goodbye to Paris the right way, going to the Moulin Rouge and enjoying a show. The next morning, exactly three weeks later; they left France to their new destination: Germany. They took the long road through Belgium, their first stop being Cambrai. They bought some much needed coffee and John decided to take the wheel, though he had no idea where he was, Sherlock was an excellent guide, and he would take them to destination.

John stretched his legs going around town buying some necessities, including more lube and two external hard drives to save their photos from the trip, and also taking in the city for at least an hour. Sherlock followed his lost husband everywhere; he just lets him pull him all over town, and John never worries, Sherlock will take them back to their car, and will lead him to whenever he needs to go.

Their next stop was Brussels, through the woods. John was mesmerised by the winter look of the Scarpe-Escaut Natural Park. They decided to spend two days in Brussels. Sherlock found no connections with Moriarty’s network in Belgium, most were in France. In Brussels they visited the famous Manneken Pis and the Grand Place at night. They also visited the cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula; John loved the stained glass imagery inside it.

Their next stop was Düsseldorf, after two days of hearing Sherlock change from French to German; John didn’t know what excited him more, his husband speaking in French, with that sexy voice of his dragging the r’s and elongating some vowels, or the sensuous voice making German sound sweet and sexy. John decided that his husband’s voice was enough to drive him mad no matter what he was saying or in what language.

They visited the Rhine and The Benrath Palace. They shared a few beers and decided to call it an early night; after all, they had enough time. That night, Sherlock told John how he arrived to Germany. Paul had helped him get into a train, with new documents, his French identity forgotten for the time being; new papers where issued and he was now a French citizen visiting Germany for the first time. The train ride was long, and Sherlock had a new burner, he wrote John that night, and they chatted for a while, and John remembered the conversation, this new person that wrote him was concerned about him and had encouraged him to go back to work.

It was a ten hour ride, one stop in Mannheim; he didn’t have much time to think about destinations, he had to plan how to take down Moriarty’s network in Germany, and how much time he might need, besides he needed to sleep and plan. Once he arrived to Berlin, two new contacts were waiting for him, Gustav and Daniel, he had to pose as a homeless again, it was easier to mingle that way, and also being ragged and seemingly defenceless helped him infiltrate in other networks, such as human and drug trafficking.

“They were waiting for me at Berlin, a medical team was with them; Jacques had notified them about my rib and my leg. Mycroft kept an eye on me all the time, but there was only so much he could do; he knew that once I entered Berlin, it would be more difficult for him to track me down, even though the Interpol helped me along the way”

“You should thank your brother for keeping an eye on you, you know?” John said out of nothing           

Sherlock snorted, amused with the sudden affirmation “He put me in this situation, even if we agreed he will use me to get Moriarty, he didn’t really helped much, except when he had to produce false identities and contact Interpol officers, that all went to hell in Belarus. I was on my own for about four months before he found me in Serbia; though maybe I should thank him for keeping an eye on you, even though he barely said anything about you to me for almost a year and a half. The last time I was able to actually write to you before he blocked your number was when I was in China, he said you distracted me, when in all truth, I needed you like I need air”

At this, John snuggled closer to Sherlock and kissed his neck, he needed to feel him breath. “Let’s not talk about Mycroft then. What happened when you arrived to Berlin?” he asked stroking Sherlock’s back

“As I was saying, Gustav and Daniel were waiting for me, they had my new burner number and I was a homeless again, it was cold, snow covered the ground and I had to sleep in some very irregular places, one of them near the remains of the wall. Eastern Berlin is very different from western Berlin, and there are more places to hide at Eastern Berlin, I found a few homeless willing to help for a few euros, and I got in contact with the dealers soon enough, though it costed me some blood”

“Some blood? What you mean?” John was scandalised with the nonchalant tone Sherlock had.

“Well…” Sherlock trailed off

“Tell me now” John growled

“They “found” me, after two weeks of following them and dragged me to a hidden location, the size of it indicated that it was a warehouse or a fabric on the old industrial district of Berlin, I could hear the train, but there was no train station; they beat me for two days, trying to find out who I was, at some point they used a riding crop on my legs and back, until Daniel came to the rescue and killed them. That night we managed to capture the leader of the Berlin network and capture a ship with stolen goods that were to be delivered to China via Moscow. I was in hospital for two days, pretending to be a beaten up tourist that was robbed. That day Jacques came for me pretending to be an employee from the French embassy. I still have a few scars in the lower part of my back, the guy that beat me was vicious, military training and clear sadistic undertones behind his every action”

John shivered at this affirmation, he did remember every scar in Sherlock’s back, but now he could map them. A broken rib from France; riding crop scars from Germany. He wanted to kiss Sherlock so badly, that the need made his heart ache. He pulled Sherlock close and kissed him with so much need that he stole a gasp from Sherlock’s lips.

“The rest can wait until tomorrow” John said pushing Sherlock down to the mattress.   

The next morning they left early, having about five hours ahead of them until they arrived to Berlin. They stopped for coffee at Hannover and visited the Royal Gardens, John wanted to give his madman a break from driving, and he knew bees would give him some peace of mind. Not solving cases was a dangerous thing, but Sherlock seemed happy to drive around and visit new places. They decided to have lunch in Hannover and after a quick walk, they went to Berlin.

The second they arrived to their hotel, two guys approached them, calling Sherlock by his last name; John immediately felt the urge to protect Sherlock from the two sturdy guys, until one of them hugged Sherlock close and kissed him on both cheeks. Sherlock rolled his eyes; he sure wasn’t used to such demonstrations of affection, besides John’s. John looked at Sherlock questioningly, as the latter tried to free himself from the hug patting the back and arms of the other guy.

“John, this is Daniel, Daniel, this is John, my husband” Sherlock said holding John by the waist. At this, Daniel let go of Sherlock’s arm and looked down, slightly blushed and clearly disappointed

“Oh, the famous John, at last” The tallest guy spoke “I’m Gustav” he shook John’s hand and hugged Sherlock. “We are Sherlock’s minions here in Berlin” He said with a heavy German accent and a heartfelt laugh.

“Minions? I’ve never had minions and I don’t intend on keeping ones” Sherlock said, trying not to laugh “What are you doing here? I thought I was seeing you tomorrow, not today”

“Well, our friend here” Gustav said, pointing at Daniel “Was a bit eager to see you” Daniel blushed hard this time. To John, it was obvious that Daniel was waiting to see Sherlock and Sherlock alone. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous and wonder what had happened between them, and if indeed, something ever happened between them.


	11. Berlin November 25th Jealous much?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealous John, tired Sherlock, and a really broken heart... More secrets revealed and Johnlock's relationship getting stronger with every passing day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay my dear readers, thank you for the hits, bookmarks, subscriptions and kudos. I'll try to update faster, though real life has been a bitch recently, my papa is dying...

“Care for some beer?” Gustav asked “There’s a pub around the corner and we can go there before dinner; and you can’t say no, we’re taking you to dinner. Your brother called and said to keep an eye on you after what happened in Paris”

Sherlock rolled his eyes, he wanted to be with John, have a nice dinner alone, and just enjoy being together, have the chance to talk and avoid what happened during their dinner with Paul and Jacques; he wanted to be the one to tell John everything that happened.  John squeezed his hand and Sherlock looked down. John’s eyes told him that it was fine, that they should go.

“Fine, but we need to check in first”

“Sure mate, go ahead, we’ll wait in the lobby”

As soon as they were in their room, John looked at Sherlock up and down, over and over again

“Nothing happened, John”

“Who said something happened?” John was angry and annoyed, his jealousy evident

“You, the way you’re acting, and the way you are not talking. You’ve been silent for the last twenty minutes”

“Stop deducing me” John growled and locked himself in the bathroom

Sherlock sighed and decided that silence was best; he didn’t want to have a row with John over John’s erroneous assumptions. He sat on the bed and let his head fall. He was tired, going back to some places was still painful, and Berlin wasn’t really a pleasant memory; but he kept on thinking about John, even after Daniel had practically put himself on a silver platter; it could have been so easy, but he was in love with John, and he didn’t have time for a fling; besides, he liked Daniel, but not in the way John was implying; he was a good gunman and was good in combat too, a great asset; but nothing more. He rubbed his face and sighed again, closing his eyes, trying to think about something else, and not the awkward situation ahead.

In the bathroom, John tried to calm down, it wasn’t Sherlock’s fault that a random guy wanted him; it could have happened any day, any time, with anybody, he remembered Irene and was curious about that, and then Janine came to mind. He felt frustrated and angry that these guys shared such difficult times with Sherlock, and that he was in London feeling sorry for himself. He rubbed his face and looked at his reflection on the mirror. He was tired, and looked older with the beard he was growing; it is easier to hide from prying eyes when you have a different look.

He washed his face, took a few deep breaths and left the bathroom, he found Sherlock slumped down on the bed, eyes closed, and clearly in pain, not physical, but emotional pain, and John knew he was the one to blame. He approached the bed and put his hands on Sherlock’s shoulders.

“I’m jealous” He said “I’m truly jealous”

“But why?” Sherlock was befuddled, but didn’t look up

“Because they were here, with you” John shouted “and I wasn’t” he whispered

“But you were here John, with me, every second, every step, every choice; you were my only reason, my light” He said looking up at John and locking gazes “Daniel is interested in me; I deduced it the second he first saw me. But I never did anything with that information, or with him, for what matters. One night he did propose we took care of his… desire… and he was more than willing; but you were on my mind all the time. I was confident that I was going back to you, that in six months I will be home…” Sherlock closed his eyes and a tear escaped them.

John stroked Sherlock’s cheek, cleaning the stray tear, it was too much, they had danced around each other for over five years, denying their love, and if Sherlock needed another body at some point, John was no one to judge him; he got married for Christ sake.

“Nothing happened John, I could have had him, but I didn’t want him, never; he was there to help me with Moriarty’s network, not with whatever need I might have had at some point. The second Moriarty shot himself I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore, I was… I am in love with you John. I know you have questions, and we are going to talk about everything you want, but rest assured that what Daniel feels is one sided, I never led him. I can only assume that he hopped to have something if we ever saw each other again”

John kissed Sherlock, his jealousy wasn’t justified; he had no right to ask him, as he had said to Mary once, her past was her business, her future his privilege; and the same applied to Sherlock.

“I don’t care love. If something happened or not is entirely your problem, rather your right. Your past is yours, and you can share it with me or not; all I want, all I need, is for you to share your future with me; the rest is history”

Sherlock smiled and stood from the bed, he held John close, kissing his temple, going down to his lips and his neck. He sucked John’s neck leaving a mark there, and John was glad to have it, it was a way to let everyone know that he was owned. He did the same to Sherlock, biting an old mark.

“They are waiting for us” John said, moving away and rearranging his trousers “Later” He whispered in Sherlock’s ear. Sherlock shivered and kissed his swollen lips once again, rearranging his trousers too.

“Let’s go, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can come back” He opened the door and led John outside with a hand on the small of John’s back, rubbing it softly with his thumb.

At the lobby, Daniel shifted uncomfortably when he saw the love bite on Sherlock’s neck under his characteristic blue silk scarf. Gustav just laughed, his poor friend had been pinning over Sherlock for the past four years. They went to a pub and shared a couple of beers. At some point, Gustav, the curious one, started the interrogation

“Okay John, I know part of the story from what Sherlock here shared, but I want to know what you did to him to have him fighting like a dog for you”

Sherlock blushed, all he talked about was John and their adventures; he was like a school boy talking about his crush.

“Well, a common friend introduced us; but it wasn’t until he “died” that I realised that I was in love with him. At the beginning I was attracted to him, but after he left it was as if my heart was broken, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t sleep, it was maddening how much I missed him; I missed his eyes, his voice, everything about him and after he came back it took me another two years to finally accept that I loved him. I couldn’t live without him” John was holding Sherlock’s hand, their fingers intertwined. He moved Sherlock’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. “But I did nothing, I guess it was love at first sight, the truth is he had me at Afghanistan” they both laughed at their inner joke.

“I’ll explain, love” Sherlock said, looking at a curious Gustav in the eyes “The day we met I deduced him. John is a military doctor, a surgeon; he served in Afghanistan, and after one glance I practically dissected him. The truth is I wanted to impress him and I asked him “Afghanistan or Iraq?”, hopping he will be interested, I still remember his face, he had no idea how I knew, and I tried to explain to him the way I work my deductions, and he treated me like a genius instead of a freak. My wedding band is inscribed with that question” Sherlock said, and John rubbed his thumb over the band.

“That certainly is… hilarious? …and a bit odd” Gustav said, laughing hard.

“We are hilarious and odd” John replied and kissed Sherlock’s cheek.

At this, Daniel excused himself and went to the restroom. He hadn’t uttered a word since he said hello to Sherlock, and barely acknowledged John, Gustav was clearly uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do.

“Sorry about Dan, mate” Gustav apologised to John

“It’s fine. I totally get him” John answered looking at Sherlock. His husband was gorgeous, and he was lucky that Sherlock chose him over Daniel, actually over everybody. Daniel was attractive, young, well built, but Sherlock chose John, if it was the other way, John would be as jealous and uncomfortable as Daniel, he knew the feeling, he had felt it twice, once with bloody Irene Adler and then with Jeanine, though the latter was less of a threat than the first.

“Really?” Gustav pried.

“Yeah; I’m certain that sooner rather than later I’m going to have to buy a cane or something to keep away all the men, women and other, that see my husband as if he is a piece of candy. As a matter of fact, I had to bash a few skulls already” John laughed making Sherlock blush.

“Shall we go eat?” Daniel demanded. The whole table startled and they just nodded.

“Sure” Sherlock answered “Lead the way”

They found a restaurant near their hotel in Alexanderplatz; John and Sherlock walking hand in hand and Daniel complaining in German to Gustav about John, forgetting that Sherlock speaks perfect German. As they arrived to the restaurant, Sherlock asked John and Gustav to go in first and get a table.

“I need to fix this” he whispered on John’s ear. John nodded and walked inside the restaurant with Gustav. Gustav glanced over to Daniel and shook his head, reprimanding the young man with his eyes.

“So… How have you been?” Sherlock asked to a very confused Daniel

“I… uh… I’ve been better” Daniel looked down

 “Look Daniel” Sherlock was serious and his voice was clearly angry “John is my husband, and I know you don’t like him, in fact, you don’t have to; and you don’t have to pretend to be fine. I can be very manipulative and get what I want from people, but in this particular case I’m not going to play the friendship card, because if you were my friend, as you claim, you’ll be happy for me. I never gave you any mixed signals, and I was clear, from the moment you decided to let me know how you felt that I wasn’t interested, that I had someone back home. You can keep this act, being offended because you didn’t get what you wanted, or you can act like the man I know you are, the one that helped me and protected me. I seriously hope you choose the latter”. At this, Sherlock entered the restaurant and left a very embarrassed Daniel outside.

A few minutes later, Daniel went over their table and sat next to Gustav, facing John. “I’m… sorry” he muttered “Congratulations John, Sherlock sure is a wonderful man, and I’m sure you’re even more wonderful to be the chosen one”

John smiled at him and patted his arm. There was nothing left to do but admit both victory and defeat.


	12. More than just a broken heart. November 25th - November 26th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more secrets are revealed, but they only strengthen their relationship. And our boys have a case sent by Mycroft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bad German. Hope you enjoy it!

They shared dinner and laughed about the stories John was telling them, about the cases they had solved together, and how Sherlock asked for his forgiveness, pretending that they were to be blown up by a bomb.

“And the git here started laughing because I almost peed my pants” John scoffed “He kept saying “your face” and I wanted to punch him again, but I couldn’t help but laugh with him; it felt so great to laugh that way again. He just made it impossible for me to be angry at him, and I just love him, you just have to love him” John was smiling, and even Daniel was laughing with them.

“I still remember the day we met” Daniel began. The whole table went silent “He looked haggard, traveling all night. Jacques warned us that he was sick, that we should take care of him because he was recovering from a beating and that he had a broken rib. But he’s unstoppable, and you’re right, he makes it impossible not to love him” he smiled looking fondly at Sherlock “But we were worried because he wanted to start working immediately. He kept saying that he needed to protect John, every time. I see why now”

“He sure can be a great friend” Gustav said; as to diffuse the tension “He protected us when it was actually our job to protect him. He never let us protect him as much as he protected us. I remember one particular night…” Sherlock cleared his throat and looked at Gustav

“John, the night he is referring to is the night when I was captured by the boss of the net here in Berlin” Sherlock cut Gustav “We were surrounded, and I knew that if any of them was captured, they would immediately kill them and link them to me, you and Mycroft. Gustav is an ex-military, like you, and the guy that tortured me served with him. He recognised Gustav and I had to hit him. I kicked him in the face; it had to seem as if I was running away from him and not to him. The boss threatened to kill Gustav and that’s why I had to pretend that my business with him had gone wrong. Fortunately, my mobile had a GPS locator and Daniel found me and killed the trafficker’s boss. They knew I was in a warehouse, but had no idea which one” He swallowed, remembering the night as if he was seeing it on a screen.

“I still can feel the kick” Gustav laughed and rubbed his chin “But you saved my life and my job. The bastard threatened my family too. If it wasn’t for you I’ll be dead now. I’m sorry they captured you though. The bastard was certain that Sherlock was two timing him. When Daniel called me and told me that they had tortured Sherlock I was enraged, I couldn’t even see straight. I went to the abandoned factory warehouse and helped Daniel get Sherlock to a hospital; we waited two days for him to wake up. We called Mycroft and he sent Jacques over to check on his brother, since he was supposed to be a French citizen. It was awful. Four days later he was on his way to Poland, and for the first time I feared that that might be the last I heard of him”

Gustav was clearly upset, Daniel looked pale. “Thank you” John said “Thank you both for keeping an eye on him. I wish I could have been here for him. Thank you, I owe you my life” John put his hands on his face, trying to calm himself, Sherlock was in more danger than he ever let John know; he felt guilt creep over again, and a shiver made him tremble. Sherlock squeezed his hand and caressed his knuckles with his thumb. He pulled him close and hugged him kissing the top of his head.

“Sorry for the PDA guys. Honeymoon” Sherlock tried to joke, but John was upset and so were his friends. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry John, please…” John kissed Sherlock deeply, swallowing the words.

“I told you already” John said against Sherlock’s lips “No more apologies for saving my life; I want, no, I need to know everything, please love, everything” He looked at Sherlock and reassured him with one look “I love you, Sherlock”

“I love you, John”

“Okay, enough PDA for one night” Daniel cleared his throat, blushing.

“Sorry… Yes” Sherlock startled, coming back to earth after being lost for a moment in John’s eyes.

Gustav laughed and nudged his friend “Well guys, I think it’s time we let you rest. How long are you staying here?”

“Three weeks, I promised John I’ll take him to every location I went while I was here in Berlin”

“A tour down memory lane?”

“Sort of, I also want to visit other places with Sherlock, create new memories”

“That sounds nice. Let us know before you leave so we can have dinner”

“Sure we will, though there is the matter of the car. I was planning on taking it to Poland, but I think it’s easier to leave it here, I don’t know, can you send it back to England?” Sherlock asked

“You should take it, it’s easier to travel when you have a car; you can stop wherever you want too; though in Ukraine you may have to rent a car and leave yours at the hotel. I’m not sure. Anyway, if you leave the car let us know and we will make sure to take it back to London, I’ll call Jacques and ask for help”

“Thanks Gustav. I really appreciate it. I guess I’ll leave it in Russia, from there we’re going to China and then Japan, after that we’re going to the United States and Latin America; then we’ll be back to Belarus and Serbia; we can take the train from there back to London”

“Why are you leaving Belarus and Serbia as the last stops?” Daniel was curious

“I promised John we’ll travel the exact same way as I did, except from eventual unplanned stops; the whole trip is already planned”

“Then by all means, let us know when you leave Europe so we can take care of your car, and if you need it by the time you’re back, we can get the car back”

“Thank you Gustav. Now I’m really spent. Thank you guys for a lovely night; see you in a couple of weeks” Sherlock said leaving the table and walking to the door

“Bye, nice to meet you guys” John waved at them before holding Sherlock’s hand and entwining their fingers. They walked back to their hotel and went straight to their room; the emotional turmoil still hanging on their heads. John needed to hold Sherlock close, feel him, and Sherlock needed the same. Berlin was the first time he was actually tortured and he could remember perfectly everything that happened.

Once in their room, they took a bath, warming their bodies. It was going to be a white winter. They planned the next three weeks, though being in Berlin for a whole week might be boring for the never stopping mind of Sherlock Holmes.

The next morning, Sherlock let John sleep for a while. He was bored to death, but watching John sleep was his favourite show. He ordered some breakfast knowing well that if he didn’t eat they would get on a row, and that was the last Sherlock needed. He was startled by his phone, Mycroft was calling him

“This better be good for you to be calling me at this hour” Sherlock growled

“And good morning to you too, brother dear. So, how’s married life treating you?”

“What do you want Mycroft?”

“Ah… so boredom is rotting your brain already”

“I never said that!” Sherlock rolled his eyes and sighed

“No need brother dear. Remember, I know you”

“Why are you calling?” Sherlock was done with his brother

“I have a matter of international importance going on in Berlin as we speak. Are you interested?”

“You know I can’t”

“Take it” John’s sleepy voice came from the bed

“So, the good Doctor approves? He must be bored to death too” Mycroft sniggered

“Mycroft!” Sherlock’s knuckles were white from the force with which he gripped his phone. John went over to his husband and grabbed the phone

“It’s John, Whatever it is we’ll take it, not out of boredom, but because if we shag one more time it will be the twentieth hotel they’ll kick us out from in less than three days. Texts us the details, thank you Mycroft” John ended the call and hugged his husband laughing his guts out. Sherlock was laughing too

“I love you, John. You’re the only person I know that could drive my brother insane and render him speechless all at once” Sherlock was utterly happy, married life did agree with him, and John was his perfect match.

“I love you, Sherlock. And now, let’s give your brother a reason to believe we are indeed being kicked out of the hotel, because I’m going to make sure that not only your throat is sore” He pulled his husband with him to bed and shagged him senseless for the remaining of the morning, not caring about who could hear the many cries of pleasure he got from Sherlock.

“I-hate-your-brother” John panted against Sherlock’s back

“That-we-have-in-common” Sherlock panted back

“He interrupted us with a freaking text” John breathed, finally. Sherlock just groaned and tried to move. He winced at the blissful pain he felt in every muscle of his body, John made sure that even his throat was sore. He swallowed painfully, his voice raspy from screaming every time, and his jaw almost dislocated.

“Can’t move John” Sherlock said rubbing his jaw

“That was the idea love” John smiled briefly, grabbing his jaw too and moving it from one side to the other; trying to move his sore arms the least possible.

“I should have Mycroft calling me every day to have the same reaction” Sherlock sassed

“Be careful what you wish for Sherlock, remember I have a nickname” John teased and winked at his husband

“Someday you’ll have to explain it to me” Sherlock tried to be serious but laughed anyway, holding his achy stomach.

“I guess we should take a shower and then go get something to eat before going out and helping your idiot brother” John tried to get up but his legs were flimsy still “Maybe in a minute”

“Or ten” Sherlock joked

After an hour, they were able to move in a relatively easy way. Sherlock helped John get out of bed and to the shower, the hot water acting like a balm over their sore and aching muscles.

“What does it say here?” John asked Sherlock looking at the weird scribbling on Sherlock’s mobile screen

“Botanischer Garten, Königin-Luise-Straße. Tropische Nächte. Bären ein geweher”

“English please?”

“Right… Sorry… ‘Botanical Garden, Königin-Luise Street, Tropical Night. Bring a gun’ apparently it’s an event of some sorts and we need to be protected” Another text made Sherlock’s phone chime    

“Ich rief bis Daniel und Gustav. Verstärkung” Sherlock read

“Now you and your brother are just showing off” John rolled his eyes

“There must be someone with him for him to be texting me in German; actually, for him to be texting me at all, the text reads ‘Called Daniel and Gustav. Reinforcements’ I think it’s dangerous. I think I better call him; it’s difficult to understand only by text” Sherlock called Mycroft and as usual, the greeting was as unpleasant as possible

“So Mycroft, what this is all about?” Sherlock’s patience was wearing thin

“Investigate, little brother; and wear tails. They are waiting for you at Amann’s, maybe something of the rack would suit you both. They have the invitations too”

“Fine” Sherlock hung up.

They left the hotel and went to Amann’s; a young man was waiting for them with two bespoke tails. “Herr Holmes I presume?” He shook Sherlock’s hand “And Doctor Watson?” he shook John’s hand. Your brother called and gave me your measurements two weeks ago; he said you’ll need these by tonight. He also sent this” He handed Sherlock an envelope

At this, John fumed, and cursed loudly, he started pacing the small room they were in and wanted to go back to London for a couple of hours and punch the lights out of Mycroft.

“As always, your brother is treating us like children” John growled. Sherlock let him, he was as angry as John, Mycroft was gaining punch points.

“I’ll fix this” Sherlock said, walking out the store and calling his brother. When he returned he looked slightly pale and sick. “We have to allow a murder to happen”


	13. A matter of international importance. November 26th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mycroft uses his baby brother as bait... again; and proves that even the best laid plans can go wrong, another mistake made by the apparently infalible British Government

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, shitty RL f-coughing with me

John looked at his husband with wild eyes, he couldn’t believe his ears. “What do you mean we have to let a murder happen? Are we supposed to let someone die?”

“Let’s go, I need a coffee” Sherlock said, grabbing their tails and leaving the store.

Once at the coffee shop, Sherlock looked for a secure spot to talk to John “Apparently this matter of international importance is the death of a drug lord. Mycroft needs me to distract him, the thing is that this guy already knows me; he’s one of the “lords” that took over Moriarty’s Russian empire”

“And why are you the one in charge of taking him down?”

“Because he knows me” Sherlock was fidgety “Well, he knows my German identity and we’re supposed to do business, then the police will come in and…”

“And what? Sherlock?”

“I’m the decoy. I am the one who’s supposed to die…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” John’s voice was low… storm ahead… “I’m going to kill Mycroft” John was bewildered, he couldn’t believe that Mycroft was putting his brother in danger again, to fix his own wrongs “Lazy bastard” John complained “What am I supposed to do?” John asked, knowing that he needed to be in full alert

“Be my husband, and be safe, please” Sherlock begged.

“As long as you’re safe, I’m safe” John kissed him softly and Sherlock returned the kiss, this was, by far, one of the most dangerous missions he’ll be in, after all, he was pardoned and this was some sort of payback to his brother.

That night at the botanical garden, Daniel and Gustav were waiting for Sherlock and John; Dimitri Blanicoff, the drug lord, was already at the party, several marksmen were positioned already, waiting for a signal. Everything was organised, but Sherlock would need to take him to a specific place outside the garden; to do so, he’ll have to entice Dimitri, and put himself in danger.

The plan was seemingly simple, they would walk around, listening to music, sharing some wine, and at some point, they would have to disappear to one of the rooms, making sure that Dimitri will follow them. Once Dimitri entered the marked room, John would have to disappear and leave Sherlock alone. They’ll have to go to the orchid’s greenhouse (Mycroft sure has a dark sense of humour, not really, I’m the evil one) and from there, Sherlock should lure Dimitri to the outer garden and talk “business”, once out there, the police will have them both arrested and one of the marksmen will have to shot Sherlock, blanks, and the other will have to kill Blanicoff and make it look like a hit from one of the Russian families.

Inside, the main room was bustling, people was chatting and drinking, enjoying the music. Sherlock identified four of Dimitri’s men; this was going to be more difficult than planned. He nodded at Gustav, who was posing as a waiter, as to order a drink, and signalled the four guys that were guarding Dimitri. They needed to get rid of them before anything could happen.

He decided to act and nudged John, then moved to the closest exit, walking right in front of Dimitri. Dimitri looked at him, and after a few moments, he recognised Sherlock. “Victor Geiger” Dimitri called and Sherlock turned to look at him, he tipped his head to one side and looked at Dimitri, as if trying to recognise him. “Herr Blanicoff?” Sherlock looked at him

“Dimitri, please. How are you young man? You sure look better than when I first saw you”

“Much better, thank you, just got married”

“And where is the missus? Nikka was it?”

“Yes, Nikka, she’s not here, she’s home, taking care of the boys” Sherlock lied easily

“And where do you live now?”

“Between countries, she stays in Moscow most of the times with the kids and I travel to Germany for business at least once a week” John was amazed at Sherlock’s capability to create and follow a lie. “My associate Bernhard Gensch” He introduced John to Dimitri and John just nodded, his English accent could be a giveaway.

“I have a proposal for you, young man, would you like to hear it?” Dimitri asked and grabbed Sherlock’s arm leading him away from John.

“I can’t leave my associate, we’re supposed to meet with someone soon, if you know what I mean” Sherlock winked at him

“It will take only a second” Dimitri insisted.

Sherlock nodded and at this; two more waiters, Mycroft’s men, went over to Dimitri’s body guards and offered some drinks, one by one left the room looking for the restrooms, and in no time, Sherlock could see some unconscious bodies being dragged outside. He lead Dimitri to the marked room, so far, everything was going as planned.

John tried to follow them but Gustav stopped him; he’ll have to intervene only if Sherlock was in danger, not before. After they entered the marked room, Dimitri began talking.

“So, Victor Geiger, or should I say, Sherlock Holmes” Sherlock paled, there was nothing he could do, and there was no way he could tell anyone what was happening. He kept his ice face but his worry levels increased exponentially

“I think you’re mistaking me with someone else” Sherlock tried

“No, I’m certain about who you are. I’m afraid your partner, Doctor Watson, will be leaving the party alone, that is if I let him leave” Dimitri threatened “His life is in your hands dear Mister Holmes. Either you do as I say, or his brains will make a nice splatter in the tapestry”

“And what am I supposed to do for you?” Sherlock asked, before pretending to admit defeat, his mind working fast to deduce how he got the information about John and their partnership

“I have four men that have already identified you and your partner. They are waiting for us to leave this room, as soon as they see my cigarette outside; they’ll know I’m safe and that you’re coming with me willingly. If they don’t see the signal in the next five minutes, they’ll help the good doctor out and… dispose… of him”

“Fine” Sherlock was relieved, he knew that Dimitri’s men were neutralized, but he still feared for John.

“And I need you to call your brother, Mycroft, he needs to pull his dogs out” Dimitri ordered, aiming his gun at Sherlock’s head

“Fine” Sherlock gritted his teeth. This was unexpected. He pulled out his mobile and called Mycroft, while texting John

**Orchids, he recognised me. Come if convenient. Bring gun. Love -SH**

“Ah, brother; I have a friend of yours here that would like to have a word” Sherlock said to Mycroft “You’re on speaker, so go ahead and talk”

“Dimitri” Mycroft greeted “Long time no hear”

“I though you would send the big guns” Dimitri snorted

“Oh, you know me, I like to give my little brother jobs here and there; he’s on his honeymoon though” Mycroft tried to hook Dimitri

“Ah, his honeymoon, so is pure pleasure and no business?” Dimitri grinned

Sherlock was a silent witness to the exchange and he could see John with the corner of his eye, approaching the greenhouse from the outside

“Yes” Mycroft sneered “You know he’s always the sentimental fool. He got himself a partner and now, unwillingly, he has put himself in danger. Always a careless baby”

Sherlock clenched his fist, but knew exactly what his brother was doing

“Don’t worry Dimitri, I’ll make sure he won’t disturb you anymore” Mycroft continued “Leave it to me, I’ll scold him properly” He pretended to laugh

“Or everything should end with a bang” Dimitri threatened, lowering his gun to Sherlock’s chest

At this, Daniel entered the greenhouse pretending to be totally plastered. “There you’re love” He said getting close to Sherlock and hugging him by the waist “Been looking for you all night” He tipped the tip of his nose “Can’t believe you left me alone again. I think you don’t grasp the concept of honeymoon yet, darling” Daniel smiled and looked at Dimitri “Is he holding a gun?” He acted as if he couldn’t see

“I… He…” Sherlock tried, he was a bit confused, but he could see John nodding at him. Sherlock cleared his throat and held Daniel close “I was about to go and look for you. We were discussing some business but I was almost finished”

“No excuses” Daniel pushed Sherlock away, pretending to be mad and tripping “First you drag me here, to a stuffy place with stuffy people, and then you leave me alone, like you have done for the past week!” He pointed at Sherlock with a menacing finger “And now I find you here alone, with some bloke, talking business?” He looked like he was about to have a breakdown “You promised, no business for a week, and here you are “businessing” again” he tripped again and fell, pulling Sherlock down.

Dimitri was astonished, and had no idea what to do. He looked at Sherlock as if trying to decide what to do, lowering his gun a little more but aiming it at Sherlock

“I thought that Doctor Watson was your partner” Dimitri looked at him questioningly

“Again with Watson?” Daniel pulled Sherlock down again, pretending to stand but failing “Always Watson! If he wasn’t bloody married I’ll be even more jealous. I can’t stand him, I hate him, and I hate you” he was shouting with all his might, clearly trying to draw as much attention as possible, knowing that the officers outside will hear them “He and his Vatican Cameos have you mesmerised. I’m done, we’re over” He fell to the floor again and Sherlock followed, turning to his side.

Two shots could be heard, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Dimitri fell backwards, a single bullet wound adorning his forehead, and Sherlock too fell backwards, a wound to his chest tinting with blood his crisp white shirt. Daniel moved to him, holding his hand, and John entered the greenhouse at the same time, kneeling beside Sherlock.

“Vest…” Sherlock tried. John was desperate; he removed his tails and used the fabric to stop the bleeding, doctor mode on. Daniel was a mess, his hand trying to hold Sherlock’s. John wanted to kill him, but all he could do was to try and snap him out of his shock

“Daniel, listen to me, go get Gustav, we need and ambulance, NOW!” John growled and shook the young man with his free hand “MOVE!” He shouted. The room filled with curious people, as the sniper team entered the room. John could hear Mycroft screaming Sherlock’s name in the distance.

“He shot my husband, Mycroft!” John screamed at the phone. “If something happens to him I swear I’ll kill you with my bare hands” He threatened

“Listen to me John” Mycroft said “I need to know who shot Dimitri” He was desperate

“A sniper did, after my signal, I couldn’t get a gun, or else I would have shot him myself” John was shouting desperately “Where is the fucking ambulance!” His hands were trembling. This wasn’t the first time Sherlock was shot, but now they were in another country, alone. “I need a fucking ambulance, Mycroft” he grunted.

Mycroft sighed in relief, he couldn’t have John killing anybody; it would be difficult to explain “How is Sherlock? What’s going on Doctor Watson?” Mycroft was trying to calm John, unsuccessfully

“The fucker shot him; he shot him first when Sherlock kneeled. He was shot in the chest, right side, under the shoulder. He can’t breathe, I fear the bullet might have punctured the lung and it’s causing a pneumothorax. The fucking Kevlar didn’t work! I need a fucking ambulance Mycroft, NOW!”

“Help is on your way John, please, calm down, my brother needs you” Mycroft was clearly concerned. “I’ll send a plane for you to bring you home as soon as Sherlock is cleared to fly. Please don’t hang up” THE Mycroft Holmes was begging

“You did this! Again!” John couldn’t breathe, his chest was tightening, and he felt as if he was going to die, he needed to calm down, Sherlock needed him. “Please, don’t close your eyes love, look at me, everything is going to be fine” John put the phone on Sherlock’s chest, and stroked Sherlock’s head. “Everything is going to be alright, just keep your eyes open” John soothed

“I love you, John” Sherlock whispered, closing his eyes

 “No!” John shouted “Not now, you’ll tell me that later. Sherlock please, open your eyes and look at me” John was crying but he didn’t care. He changed hands to put pressure on Sherlock’s wound, slapping Sherlock’s face with his bloody hand to keep him awake. Soon the sound of a siren nearing relaxed him a little, but Sherlock was pale and his lips were blue.

The paramedics entered the greenhouse and put Sherlock on a gurney; John followed them; thanks to Gustav, John could accompany him in the ambulance, and as soon as they arrived to the hospital he remembered that Mycroft was on the phone still.

“We’re at the hospital” John tried to keep calm “They’ve taken him into surgery… I swear Mycroft…”

“I know” Mycroft cut him “Let me know what happens, no matter the hour. Please, take care of him”

“I will, goodbye Mycroft” John finished the conversation. Now all he could do was wait.

Gustav and Daniel accompanied him the whole night. John paced from one side to the other of the waiting room, his hands and his clothes a bloody mess. It was cold and he shivered, but he didn’t care, all he wanted was to be with Sherlock. He played with Sherlock’s ring, reading the inscription over and over again; they’ve been married less than a month, twenty six days to be exact. Gustav offered him some coffee and Daniel put a coat over John’s shoulders. John thanked them, but his whole attention was focused on the doors that could end his current life once they opened.

“Herr Watson” A doctor called. John went over to him, but his lack of German proved to be a barrier again.

“I’ll translate” Daniel offered “Mister Holmes is stable. The bullet was lodged in his right lung, causing him a pneumothorax; he lost about a pint of blood, but he didn’t need a transfusion; the pressure put on the wound helped him” Daniel sighed “Unfortunately, he coded twice, and we have to keep the breathing tube just in case” Daniel’s voice broke “He should be waking up in the morning; and if he responds well, we’ll take the breathing tube. Thankfully he’s strong, and healthy” John sighed in relief, thank God Sherlock was eating, last time he almost died because he wasn’t eating correctly, and his recuperation took more time than usual, but the fact that Sherlock coded, twice, took the last glimpse of sanity John had and he almost collapsed to the floor; Gustav was holding him and helping him be steady.

“You can go in and see him” Daniel said “Room two fifteen” John nodded and followed the doctor. He entered the room and once again, Sherlock was covered with tubes and surrounded by monitors.


	14. I’m not coming back. November 27th to December 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some brotherly love... not. But John is able to provide Mycroft some redemption.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just reached chapter 40, editing it. I'll be posting soon. Thanks for all the hits, comments, kudos and bookmarks!

John sat next to Sherlock, holding his hand; he still looked pale, his lip blue; a tube on his chest was draining liquid; and another one was helping him breathe. His hands were cold and limp. John couldn’t believe it; they were supposed to be safe, to be enjoying their trip, and now he was in a hospital room, again. 

He looked at his own hands and the blood in them was dry and made them itchy. He went to the bathroom and washed his hands thoroughly, he hadn’t noticed his face was smeared with blood too, he washed his face wanting the blood and the memories to disappear, but it was easier said than done; his hands trembled and also his legs, he had to hold to the sink as not to fall; he felt sick and tried to hold himself to avoid throwing up, but it was a futile attempt.

He felt physical pain going up and down his body and he could barely breathe. He left the bathroom feeling weaker than he already was; all he could do was sit next to Sherlock and wait for him to wake up. He must have dozed off at some point because the sound of a phone startled him. It was Mycroft

“Mycroft” He answered with a raspy voice

“How is he?” Mycroft sounded concerned

“Alive” John answered, anger flaring in his eyes and in his voice

“Which hospital?”

“Saint something, I don’t know. I’ll send you a picture of the pillows, hold on” He took a picture of the logo and sent it to Mycroft

“The Saint Gertrude. Right” John could hear some movement on Mycroft’s end “Which room?”

“Two fifteen. Why?” John could hear Violet’s and Siger’s voice on the other end “What’s going on Mycroft?”

“Don’t worry John, give me five minutes please” John sighed and ended the call.

He was still sitting next to Sherlock, his hands were warmer now, and his lips were rosy again, but he still looked pale. It had been ten hours since they arrived to the hospital and Sherlock hadn’t woken up yet. John was worried, but he knew that it may take a couple more hours, between the effects of the anaesthetics and the morphine, and of course, the long four hours of surgery. He stroked his husband cheek and caressed his curly hair, playing with his curls. He kissed Sherlock’s forehead and rested his own on Sherlock’s arm.

“I love you, Sherlock, please wake up. I need you” John rubbed his thumb over Sherlock’s ring-less finger, holding Sherlock’s ring in his other hand, gripping it tightly. A sob escaped his mouth and he couldn’t hold it anymore, he let the tears roll down his cheeks, not bothering with cleaning them. He felt tired and all he wanted was for Sherlock to wake up.

Ten minutes later he could hear a commotion outside the door, and Violent came in to the room looking desperate and tired.

“How is my boy?” She demanded, going directly to John. He stood, not letting Sherlock’s hand go and hugged Violet with his free arm.

“He’s alive” John answered, cleaning the tear paths that stained his face.

“What happened?” Violet asked, letting go of John and looking down at Sherlock, placing a soft kiss to his forehead

John didn’t answer; it was Mycroft’s responsibility, as always. He just looked at the door and could see Mycroft shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Siger noticed and took Mycroft outside the room. Violet looked at them curiously but was more concerned with Sherlock and the way John looked like.

“You should go to your hotel and change” Violet said to John

“No, not moving” John sat next to Sherlock again, holding Sherlock’s hand in his.

“Have you eaten?” She was concerned

“I’m not hungry Violet, thank you” All he wanted was for Sherlock to wake up, the sooner the better.

Mycroft and Siger re-entered the room and Siger sat next to Violet. Mycroft stood by the door, not moving and playing with the handle of his umbrella. He knew he was the one to blame; the mission was dangerous, and he never imagined that the damn Kevlar would fail.

John buried his head on Sherlock’s arm, and kissed his bare forearm, stroking his hand with his fingers. Sherlock’s hand twitched and gripped John’s finger. He moved and tried to move his other arm, to take the tube off his throat. John looked at him, his eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t worry love, you’re fine, I’ll call the doctor to take the tube off, relax love, please” John was holding Sherlock’s hand firmly. Mycroft went to look for the doctor.

A minute later, the same doctor that had guided John to Sherlock’s room was standing next to them; he was talking to Mycroft in German. Sherlock could hear everything and he grunted as soon as he heard that he had coded twice, and that he suffered a pneumothorax; that meant he’ll have to stay in hospital for at least a week; he wanted to kill the arsehole that shot him and Mycroft.

The doctor removed the tube and asked Sherlock not to speak for at least an hour; he had to wait until the doctor cleared him, and had to endure several checks of his vocal cords.

“Are you okay John” Sherlock asked after the hour passed

“I should be asking you that, love” John chuckled, relieved to hear Sherlock’s voice.

“You should go and change, and have something to eat, you should also take my parents with you” It was more an order than a suggestion and John just nodded.

“Be back in a couple of hours, love” John kissed his lips “By the way, I have your wedding band, so don’t worry about it; I’ll bring it later” John left the room followed by Siger and Violet; a black sedan was waiting for them. As soon as he entered their hotel room, John sat on the bed and took a few moments to think about what had happened. Again, Mycroft had used his baby brother to get rid of yet another criminal. John was certain that Mycroft leaked some information to lure Blanicoff; he had too much information, including their recent wedding.

He took a long bath before going to the cafeteria and ordering some coffee. His in-laws were staying at the same hotel. He called Violet and shared a coffee with her, not saying a word about what had happened, and telling them about their trip so far and how things were going. Soon it was time for them to return to the hospital, and John was more than happy to go back to his husband. He packed a few things; he was staying with Sherlock for as long as was needed.

Meanwhile, at the hospital room, Sherlock’s thunderous voice shook the hospital walls

“What the hell Mycroft? Was this payback for Magnussen? A shot for a shot?” He was furious

“Now, little brother…” Mycroft tried

“Don’t little brother me, Mycroft. You were supposed to keep me safe, and yet again, you failed me. It could have been John! I hope you are aware of that!” Sherlock kept shouting

“Look, Sherlock…” Mycroft tried again

“I don’t mind you endangering my life, but John’s? Are you insane? I get you needed to lure him, but using my recent marriage as a way to do so? I know you don’t care about me, but at least, try and care about John” Sherlock couldn’t keep his voice down

“Sherlock, please” Mycroft looked down, clearly hurt “I care for you Sherlock, and of course for John; no matter what you think, that’s the truth” The British Government looked at his brother with pained eyes “I’m sorry”

“And what am I supposed to say to that?” Sherlock looked at his brother with anger “What am I supposed to do now? Hug you perhaps?” Sherlock sneered, disdain in each word

“I have a plane waiting for you to take you back home, Sherlock, you just have to say the word” Mycroft knew he deserved every punch but it hurt

“I’m not coming back, I made a promise to John and I’m staying and finishing our trip” Sherlock closed his eyes and sighed “If, and only if John wants to come home I’ll consider taking your offer”

“You’ve just got shot, Sherlock!” Mycroft retorted

“And whose fault is it?” Sherlock spat

“At least let me make sure that you are comfortable, I can get a driver for you” Mycroft was clearly concerned

“Nope, I have John” Sherlock looked at his brother up and down

“I’m trying to apologise, Sherlock”

“And you just failed, miserably” Sarcasm slapped Mycroft on the face

“John will be back soon” Mycroft cleared his throat before leaving the room. Outside, Daniel and Gustav were wondering about Sherlock’s health, Daniel looked like he’d been crying and Mycroft felt sorry for the poor lad; another broken heart his brother had left along the way.

“John will be here soon, you can ask him if it’s okay for you to come in” Mycroft left them and went out the hospital. He called Anthea, the operation was a success, and now his brother could take his husband to Russia without any danger to them. “I’ll be going back next week, I need a few days. Prepare the suite for my brother and his husband; they’ll be staying as long as needed; and please, make sure there is medical staff on call for them. Don’t forget to keep the bird on them all the time” Mycroft finished the call and sighed.

John arrived that moment and he shot a glare to Mycroft, he was still pent-up but decided it was best not to act against the British Government, at least not yet, besides, his in-laws didn’t have to know what had really happened; it was not up to him but to Mycroft and Sherlock himself.

“You decent?” John teased, entering the room

“Hi John” Sherlock beamed

“Your mum wants to visit for a while” John said kissing Sherlock’s lips

“Stay?”

“Rather not, need to have a word with someone” John said walking towards the door and letting the visitors in. He went to look for Mycroft; he needed to know what the hell had happened

“Mycroft” John called and Mycroft turned to look at him. John looked menacing and Mycroft took a step back for the first time since he’d met John. “A word” John called him, curling his index finger to call him, and sitting on a chair in the waiting room “I’m not going to yell” John said calmly “But I want to know what happened” His voice was low, obviously angry

“I’ll be honest John. I needed Sherlock to fix a problem he initiated” Mycroft looked at John and sat next to him “I’m sure he told you parts of the story yesterday before he got shot, Dimitri Blanicoff “inherited” Moriarty’s network in Russia, and he was causing many problems to many governments; the operation yesterday ensured your life and Sherlock’s. If he hadn’t been killed yesterday, Sherlock might have died during your stance in Russia; and I wouldn’t have been able to help” Mycroft sounded defeated “Two weeks ago, Blanicoff came to London and I was sent to talk to him, since I manage a couple international “business”. He showed me photographs of you and Sherlock, and one of them was at the bar where you helped that French girl” Mycroft sighed “He started following you after that. It was a smart move distracting him with Daniel, I was afraid it was you who took the shot, after you told me, the sniper team confirmed the fact. I must say I was relieved”

“Why didn’t you tell us before?” John didn’t know if he should feel angry or thankful

“I couldn’t, any change on your routine or schedule might have alerted them. Yesterday, after Blanicoff died, I made sure that the Russian families would found out all about it, they called an emergency “family” meeting and we were able to capture the heads of the families and dismantle them. Sure there will be more, but the new ones won’t pose any danger to you or my brother, as long as you keep out their way. Killing Dimitri was part of the mission Sherlock had when he was going into “exile”, finishing with all Eastern Europe families”

“There is something you’re not telling me” John squinted

“That mission was a “no return” mission. If possible, Sherlock would have lived six months, tops. I’m sorry John” Mycroft played with the hem of his suit jacket sleeve, brushing some invisible dust off of it.

“Is he cleared now? For good?” John held his breath; he wanted to punch Mycroft right in his pompous face, but at the same time he wanted to hug him.

“Yes, no more missions now, unless you get cases like the one in France. I’ll make sure you’re safe. I have a plane waiting for you to go back to London, but Sherlock said it’s up to you to go back. He said that only if you wanted to go back he will; but I can see you’re not accepting the offer either”

“Thank you Mycroft, but I’ll do what Sherlock wants”

“I’ve prepared a suite we have here, please accept it, it’s more comfortable than a hotel, and there is a medical and a cleaning staff for you 24/7. You’ll be alone and you can stay there for as long as you want. I also have people checking on you, just in case. Again; I’m sorry John” Mycroft said and stood from the chair

“Are you leaving?” John was worried, Mycroft looked tired and thin. For the first time since he met his pompous brother in law, John was worried for him and wanted to keep a close eye on the man

“I’ll stay for another week; there are a few “business” I need to take care of. I’ll text you the address to the suite. Good day John” Mycroft left the hospital

John went back to Sherlock’s room; he was shouting to a poor nurse in German, the girl was crying profusely and looked terrified. John just smiled; this was going to be a very long week.    


	15. An involuntary delay December 11th to December 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys have to stay in Germany, and John decides to open up to Sherlock about his injury. Feels ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay... Been at hospital with my pap, also finishing my masters' degree thesis and other shite life has decided to throw my way, all at the same time. 
> 
> To anyone reading this fic... Thank you so very much!

After two weeks of a cursing Sherlock, John managed to take him to the suite Mycroft had prepared for them

“What are we doing here?” Sherlock sighed angrily

“Your brother offered and I accepted, and if you want to have a row, I’m willing to have one, just give me one reason” John snapped

“I don’t want Mycroft’s help” Sherlock groaned

“Well, I do. And now you just have to shut the fuck up and accept your brother’s help” John growled back

“Or?” Sherlock pursed his lips, the battle was lost but he could try

“Or so help me God, we’ll take the first plane back to London and you’ll get quickly re-acquainted with the sofa” John glared at Sherlock “You’ve acted like a prick the past two weeks, you made the entire nursing staff cry, two of them had nervous breakdowns, you yelled at your mother, your father, and Mycroft, and no, I’m not his biggest fan but he apologised, and when someone apologises to you, you act like a gracious human being and accept the apology, you pompous prick” Sherlock tried to interrupt only to get another murderous glare “I take it that you were in pain, and that you think you know more about medicine than anybody else, including me, but you’re a git, a spoiled brat that deserves a good spanking” Sherlock gasped “One word, just one and I’ll take the next flight to London and you’ll have to stay here, alone, until you recuperate and can come home. Don’t provoke me” John said through gritted teeth

Sherlock just looked at him, lips pursed and a befuddled expression

“That’s right. Now bed! Doctor’s orders” John lead Sherlock to the bedroom and helped him get settled comfortably. His arm was on a sling. “I’ll go make us some lunch; and you’re going to eat everything, quietly” John left the room and Sherlock was fuming, but he knew that it was best not to confront his husband, at least not yet.

John slept part of the afternoon, he was tired, and dealing with Sherlock wasn’t easy. After a quiet dinner, John helped Sherlock prepare for the night; they took a bath and John helped him brush his teeth. Once they settled on the bed, John decided to share a part of his life with Sherlock.

 “I was part of a group of elite operatives, and I was a command specialist. I was behind the planning of special missions, mostly rescue missions. I had a good instinct for negotiating and I was also a more than good marksman. My skills at commanding rescue squads; and successfully retrieving hostages, and my abilities to manage hostage situations were used often. As a fusilier of the Northumberland Regiment as an officer of the RAMC, and as a captain, I had several obligations. One night, we were notified of a raid gone wrong, and most of the operatives were captured. Some I knew from Sandhurst, others from camp, so my team and I prepared everything. Though I had this weird feeling in my stomach, I prepared everything, my hand gun, my riffle, my medical kit, and I checked and re-checked my helmet, put on my dog tags, I checked at least ten times my uniform and all my gear, I strapped my body armour about twenty times, checking it and patting it, making sure I had put it correctly; I also checked my security equipment, my knife and my medical kit, over and over again” John let out a shaky breath “We left camp Bastion at one in the morning, I was on the fox with Bill Murray, and other team mates; and two empty hogs following us. We arrived to an apparently desolate quarter. I had to climb out the MV and go on foot, do some pedestrian recognition” John sighed and was silent for a moment

Sherlock reached for John’s hand, he had been silent the whole day, as per ordered before by his doctor. He squeezed John’s hand gently, encouraging him. John smiled at Sherlock and kissed his hand

“The first house was empty, we walked in and checked every corner of it, and the moment we were ready to leave and check the next one, a grenade flew at us; we had to run and cover under a hog; but the hogs' drivers had to retire, in order not to lose them and so did the driver of the fox, and we were left hiding behind a destroyed wall. As the captain I gave the order to hold fire and check for injured. One of my men was hit by a stone on his back, but he was okay, so he was left to drive the fox. They called other operatives on the radio, and we were ordered to wait until their arrival, but a firefight began. I ordered my team to check the roofs and get at least one high position. My guys proceeded as ordered; shrouded by the night they managed to get four roofs without being spotted. We located the hostages and Bill and I went to the marked houses, our marksmen covering us from the heavy fire. We managed to get most of them; twenty “crows” were captured and their captain killed. They were stunned by a bomb, their vehicle was destroyed; and most of them were injured” John rubbed his face with his free hand

“Bill was carrying the last girl out of sight and into the hog, and I was helping another fellow soldier. He was shot first, dawn was breaking and you could spot us easily. It took us longer than expected, with the grenade and the injured soldiers and everything. The boy fell right in front of me, holding his chest, and my mind went on doctor mode, I was no longer a soldier. I kneeled to help him when a burst forced me to lie on top of the boy. One of my men notified the rest of the team by radio that he had shot the guy, and that that was the reason why a burst almost hit me. I kneeled again and tried to stop the bleeding, all I could see was blood and sand, my eyes hurting because the burst send some sand into them and the smoke wasn’t helping either. I cut my leg with a sharp piece of some metal that was lying near the soldier, but it didn’t matter, I was pumped with adrenaline” Sherlock leaned his head on John’s shoulder, trying to comfort him 

“I tried to move the young soldier when another burst hit his body and practically blew it in front of me” John closed his eyes; he could see the scene clearly “One of my guys asked if I was alright and I clicked the radio, ‘but the other guy was killed horribly right in front of me’ I managed to tell them” John was shaking “It wasn’t the first time, but every time it was something awful to witness. Then I felt it, a burning on my left shoulder. The force of it sent me to the ground; the bullet went through and ended up in the wall behind me. Suddenly everything was in slow motion, a bunch of bullets flew by, and Bill kept calling me. I put my hand over my shoulder and looked at it and it was covered with blood. I felt dizzy, nauseous and I couldn’t move, my body weighing a ton” John’s voice was shaky and broken

“I closed my eyes for a second and before I knew it all was back to normal. Bill was kneeling beside me, hitting my face and saying something. I couldn’t hear him, my vision was blurry and I knew I was dying, the bullet nicked an artery, and of course caused some nerve damage; I was bleeding out fast” John put his hand over his shoulder “I closed my eyes again, I couldn’t keep them open, I was so tired, all I wanted was to let go, but as soon as I was placed on a gurney and the guys were moving me to a helicopter, I begged God to let me live” John sniffed loudly “I spent  two months in the military hospital in Bastion, I worked there once and now I was a patient. Bill was sitting next to me, and greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes ‘You scared the shit out of me’ was the first thing he said ‘next time you die on me I’ll kill you’ he tried to joke but he was serious. I somehow managed to smile at him. He told me that I was honourably discharged and that I was to be sent to QEHB for another month” John captured Sherlock’s hand with his and held it tight “After I left Birmingham, my sister called me, then she gave me her phone, she offered me a place to stay but… Two months later I ran into Stamford and the rest you already know”  

“Thank you” Sherlock kissed John’s hand and nuzzled his neck. To Sherlock, John was the best painkiller, and now that he had shared what happened, how he was injured, the gates had fully opened in his heart and he felt warmer than ever, the pain dissipating and a strange feeling of completeness filling his heart. John’s eyes filled with tears, even though he tried to control them, they fell freely down his cheeks. He moved to hold Sherlock close, helping him get further down the bed and resting fully on his back and put his head on his chest; Sherlock’s heartbeat soothing him. Sherlock moved his hand over John’s head and patted it softly, entwining John’s hair with his fingers

“I almost lose you, Sherlock” John whispered against his chest “Again”

“I’m sorry John” Sherlock kept massaging his head

“You said goodbye to me” John’s voice broke “You said goodbye to me…”

“I’m really sorry John, I’m sorry” Sherlock could feel John shaking in his arms, and tried to comfort him

“I can’t do this anymore” John said, more broken than before. Sherlock felt his heart stop and his blood freeze in his veins; his stomach turned and sank deep.

“You mean you want to…” Sherlock cleared his throat “End… this… us?” His hand stilled on John’s head, he was shaking too.

John sprung up, as if he was jolted by a bolt of lightning “No, no, no, no, no” John kissed Sherlock’s lips “I mean… I can’t do this anymore; I can’t see you getting hurt anymore. It almost killed me, you know? The pain I felt after you got shot, it felt ten times worst than a kick in the… , and after you said you loved me as if you were saying goodbye, I felt my heart break and I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think, I can’t keep seeing you getting hurt”

Sherlock sighed with relief, the blood flowing again and his heart beating once more. “As long as you’re there with me, I’ll be safe. I promise I’ll be more careful from now on, but I can’t give up the work, after you, the work is all I have”  

“I never said I want you to quit” John looked at his husband “I love what we do, but you have to be more careful. If you feel you’re in danger please, wait for me, take me with you, please” He leaned and kissed Sherlock deeply

“I promise I will” Sherlock said against John’s lips. They stayed there for a while, just breathing each other until John sat up

“I’ll be right back love” John said getting off the bed “I’ll bring you some water so you can take your medicine” Sherlock groaned but took the medicine either way.

The next few days passed slowly. At some point Sherlock was so bored that John had to leave for a while before having a row. Gustav and Daniel took care of him and were pleased to help him for at least a couple of hours every day, one of them, mostly Gustav, staying with Sherlock for the time being, while John fumed and complained about his idiot husband, having a beer or two and returning later to his madman and cuddling with him for the night. The day they were supposed to leave for Poland, the doctor cleared Sherlock but asked him to stay for at least a week in Berlin, just in case.

Sherlock accepted, besides, Christmas was around the corner and they could have dinner, just the two of them in the suite. They could go shopping for food and enjoy a white Christmas; and Sherlock could take John to all the places he had promised to take him and tell him what happened in each of them; they could resume their trip in January.

They left the suite and went to a Christmas market that Sherlock looked up on the internet. They bought a few presents for their family and friends and sent them to England, while they walked back to the suite, John froze in front of a window that was decorated with a very loud Christmas theme, many reds and greens and colourful fairy lights adorned the window; a fake fireplace with two armchairs that sat in front of it. A tree with tinsel and more fairy lights, and other ornaments sat next to the fire place. It wasn’t like 221B but it looked like it.

And Sherlock could see it, John would rather have Christmas back home, and not in some country, just the two of them, he would want to see his friends, his family, maybe go out with the guys for the night, share a nice dinner with Molly and Greg, and spend boxing day with Harry, They still had time, a call to Mycroft and they’ll have a plane waiting for them, and in two hours they’ll be home. John seemed sad, tired, and Sherlock was to blame for it.

“I’ll call Mycroft as soon as we arrive to the suite” Sherlock said, looking at his husband but avoiding his piercing blue eyes.

“And why are you calling Mycroft?” John asked without taking his eyes from the display

“So he can have a plane ready for us, so we can spend Christmas in London, that way you can visit your sister and be with your friends” Sherlock was sad, he felt as if he wasn’t enough to keep John happy

“And why would I want to go back to London if I have the chance to spend with my gorgeous husband, just the two of us, our first Christmas as a married couple? Besides, we have many Christmases to come to celebrate with family and friends” John beamed at him

“You look sad John, you can’t lie to me” Sherlock sighed

“I’m not lying” John held his gloved hand

“Yes, you are”

“Nope, not lying. I’m more than happy to spend our first Christmas just the two of us”

“But?”

“But I do miss home, I’d like to decorate the suite, though it’s rather small and a big tree is out of the question. I was looking at the small tree there” John pointed to a little tree that was adorned with white fairy lights and silver and golden ornaments “I’d like to buy it, just to have something Christmas-ish, besides dinner”

“Then we should buy it and take it home”

“Home? You mean the suite”

“No John, I mean home, not London, but home” John looked at him confused “For me, home is wherever you are, John” Sherlock kissed the tip of his nose before going in the store. John just followed him, his heart beating fast; Sherlock left him breathless.

After they bought the tree, they went to the suite and took a long bath; it was cold outside, snowing relentlessly; a storm forced them to stay in the suite for a couple of days. On Christmas Eve, they went shopping and bought all they needed for a nice Christmas dinner; Sherlock was back to his healthy self, and was able to drive for a while. His injury was healing nicely, and his shoulder was fine; besides, he was taking care of himself, as promised; he was eating, sleeping and resting enough. The doctor cleared him to drive and travel again just a week before Christmas; but John was adamant, and didn’t want him driving around, much less in the cold.

They made dinner together, flirting with each other all the time; in all honesty; it was their second Christmas together, well, the fourth, but... it was their first Christmas as a married couple, and they both wanted it to count as the best Christmas ever. John made some turkey and Sherlock helped him with the roasted potatoes and dessert. John was surprised with his husband’s cooking skills; every day with Sherlock brought a new discovery

“It’s just chemistry, John. You just have to know the boiling point and the searing point to the ingredients, that way you don’t burn the food, and mixing ingredients is pure chemistry too” Sherlock said nonchalantly. It earned him a snog that left him breathless and wanting more

The small dinner was a success, and after they ate they sat in front of the fire for a while, sharing playful kisses and caresses, they had to wait for a while until Sherlock was cleared and because John was worried he might hurt him. Soon the kisses and caresses travelled down until they couldn’t hold it anymore. Sherlock undressed John with shaky hands, he could have come just with John’s touch but he was breathing slowly, wanting to last at least a round. John did the same to him, but the sofa was small, it was more a love seat that an actual sofa, so he stopped Sherlock before going any further

“I’m fine John” Sherlock grunted

“I know you are love, I just want us to move to the bed, we’ll be more comfortable there” He said pulling Sherlock by his trousers’ waist and leading him to the bed.        


	16. A brief interlude, or my version on how to have some dirty sex. December 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some smutty times... Hope you enjoy Captain Watson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! If you feel like commenting, please do.
> 
> BTW: Not beta'd so all mistakes are mine, and mine alone

Sherlock followed John happily, getting rid of his clothes along the way, following John’s example

Sherlock pushed John down and he hit the mattress with a small thud, immediately, he turned his back to Sherlock and pulled the tiny bottle from under his pillow and opened it. Sherlock was waiting for John to lie again on his back, but what John did turned on all his alarms and he was aware of everything.

John was kneeling in front of him; his elbows rested on the bed as he opened the tiny bottle and poured some product on his hand and fingers. He moved his hand to his backside and started moving his finger over his rim, massaging slowly his hole, he pushed a finger inside, pumping slowly, making the filthiest sounds Sherlock ever heard; his mind lost in the sounds and the image.

He saw John’s finger disappear repeatedly inside him, before another finger made its appearance, disappearing inside John, creating a rhythm. John moved in the bed and laid on his back, his hand moved to his hole again, and was fucking himself slowly, closing his eyes, enjoying the fact that Sherlock was looking at him

“Touch yourself, let me see you” John ordered with a husky voice.

Sherlock sat on a chair that was strategically placed near the bed and began palming himself, fast and hard

“Slow” John ordered again “Slow”

Sherlock complied, he moved his hand slower, watching John finger himself, he had no idea how long he would last but he was enjoying himself so much. His hand moved up and down, John locked gazes with him and he licked his lips, he moved his free hand to his mouth and licked and sucked his index finger, once it was wet, he let it go with a naughty pop and moved his finger up and down his chest, then his thigs until he wrapped his hand around his own cock. At this, Sherlock gasped and moved his hand faster      

“Slow” John groaned, before arching his back and enjoying Sherlock’s face

Sherlock slowed again he wanted to touch John, he wanted John’s hands on him, and John inside him, he needed to feel John, but he sat on the chair waiting for instructions. John stopped touching himself and removed his fingers from his hole. He threw a pillow on the floor and looked at Sherlock

“On your knees, here!” He was Captain Watson after all

Sherlock kneeled in front of John, waiting

“Hands behind you back soldier” John barked, with a husky voice “And mouth open, wide!”

Sherlock obeyed, he moved his hands to the back of his head and opened his mouth. John pushed inside and moved his hips, slowly, enjoying Sherlock’s tongue on his shaft. He held Sherlock’s arms, worrying for his right arm, and moving it slightly down, to not strain the muscle unnecessarily, he moved his hands to Sherlock’s head and moved it, tilting it softly and pushing inside his mouth, then he paced himself, he wanted to last long, and he could see Sherlock’s eyes flutter close and open with every thrust. He moved away from Sherlock’s mouth and breathed heavily

“At ease, soldier” Sherlock relaxed his arms and moved them to his sides “Up!” John barked again “On the bed and on your knees” He pulled Sherlock up by his left arm and pushed him to the bed. Sherlock was too excited and aroused to do anything but obey, he loved this side of John; he enjoyed it. He complied and climbed on the bed and soon was on his knees

“On your elbows soldier!” Sherlock did as told. John climbed on the bed too and poured some lube on Sherlock’s palm. “You’re going to tease yourself until I’m satisfied” John grunted. Sherlock obeyed, he moved his hand and did the same John had done before, he began moving his fingers slowly at first, pushing one inside and moving it, opening his hole and relaxing his muscles. He moaned and gasped at the feeling

“Louder soldier!” Sherlock moaned louder, letting a loud groan escape his mouth. “Do you like it soldier?” Sherlock whimpered “I said, do you like it soldier?” John barked at him

“Yes” Sherlock sighed

“I didn’t hear you soldier!” John spanked him

“Yes” Sherlock shouted

“Yes what?” John spanked him again

“Yes, sir!” Sherlock was breathless, he was about to come, just with the excitement that John’s commanding voice gave him.

“You can’t come until I let you” John kneeled between his legs and leaned on his back, he bit Sherlock’s ear. “I want you to come with me inside you” he whispered

John pulled Sherlock’s fingers out of him and pushed himself in, pausing for a while and letting Sherlock get used to him. Sherlock moved his hips against John’s but John stopped him, holding Sherlock’s hips still. He leaned on Sherlock’s back and placed kisses on his shoulders, biting and nipping the skin; he moved his hand to Sherlock’s stomach and pulled him up, to rest on his lap.

He pushed his hips up once, hard, getting the so desired “JOHN!” from Sherlock’s throat and that was enough for him to lose his mind. He moved his hand from Sherlock’s stomach to his throat, the other one resting on his hips and he began to move slowly, hitting the same spot over and over again

“You like it, don’t you? You like it when I play with you, when I make you beg, when I make you scream”

Sherlock couldn’t speak, he was lost in John’s movement, and his words were driving him mad

“You like it when I fuck you rough, don’t you? When I have you on your knees, wanting my cock inside you?” John was being dirty, and Sherlock was out of his mind

“You can’t come yet. Hold it, hold longer. Because I’m going to fuck you hard until you beg me to come, until you beg me to fill you up” John moved his hand to Sherlock’s mouth and covered it. “You can’t use your hands; I want you to come with me inside you and nothing more”

Sherlock breathed, trying to control his need. He was losing all control, but John had a firm grasp on his hips, that he was certain he’ll have bruises in the morning.

“You want me to go harder and faster, don’t you?” Sherlock nodded “Beg me!” John bit his neck and moved his hand from Sherlock’s mouth

“Please John, harder, faster” Sherlock whimpered, John moved his hand to Sherlock’s mouth again and slammed his hips harder and moved faster, panting against Sherlock’s back, grabbing his hips and holding them still; he thrusted deeper and harder, feeling close, he circled his hips, and thrusted hard. Sherlock gasped and stilled, clenching his muscles, he tried to hold it longer but it was almost impossible. John stilled too, he was close and he wanted to keep going. He breathed deeply before moving again, this time slower

“Ask me, tell me what you want, beg” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear

“Please John, I want you to come inside me, please, let me come, please” Sherlock begged. John moved again, faster, pushing harder and slamming his hips against Sherlock’s. He pushed Sherlock down to the bed and pushed his head to the pillow, he grabbed Sherlock’s hands with his and held his hips hard, he moved faster and harder, hitting Sherlock’s prostate with every thrust.

“Let go, love” He said against Sherlock’s neck. Sherlock’s muscles stiffened and he came hard with John’s name escaping his lips in a loud cry; John could feel Sherlock clenching and he came hard too, collapsing on Sherlock’s back, exhausted, every muscle in his body relaxing immediately. He moved them, slowly, kissing Sherlock’s back and holding him close; the detective was so limp that he barely noticed that John had shifted them and he was lying on his side, with John inside him, limbs entangled, bodies sweating profusely, and bliss coursing his body in never ending waves.


	17. Berlin, a second chance. December 26th to January 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth behind the name. A brief mention about Victor Trevor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to post every day but there have been terrible electrical storms in my city, no power outages yet (luckily), but heavy rain and scary lightning bolts. Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> If there are any mistakes please let me know

The next morning, Sherlock woke up fully sated, and could feel John’s morning arousal inside him. He decided to wake his husband up with some morning sex, but his muscles were sore, he moved slowly, until John was up, and kissing his back, moving his hips, slowly, enjoying, as always, some morning sex.

“I love it when you wake me up this way” John kissed his back and moved his hand to wrap it around Sherlock

“And I love to wake you up this way” Sherlock said rolling his hips and getting a moan from John.

John moved faster, encompassing his hips with his hand and thrusting deeper and harder, following Sherlock’s instructions. They were both panting and sweaty, and needing an urgent shower. John pulled from Sherlock, and he winced

“Sorry love” John kissed his shoulder

“I’m fine John; but it’s been a month since…” He smiled and got off the bed to follow his husband to the shower

“I know love” He kissed Sherlock deeply and pushed him to the shower. They teased each other and took a long… shower, before thinking about real breakfast.

After breakfast they left the suite and went to visit some sights in Berlin; it was time for Sherlock to show John where he had been. Their first stop was The Wall.

“After I arrived to Berlin, I had to learn really quickly street names, parks and cemetery locations, and where to create a proper homeless network. Daniel suggested I should visit The Wall, and so I did. It’s an admirable structure, and I did find it very useful at times, being able to “mingle” with the visiting crowd and walking from one side to the other in order to get in contact with several “homeless”, most of them kids that are the way I used to be, runaways, looking for a good hit” John was walking next to him, holding hands and he pulled Sherlock to look at him. “Don’t worry John, I didn’t use, I didn’t have enough money to purchase any” Sherlock sighed and John let him continue walking.

“Most of the trafficking took place near the Wall Memorial, there you can find people of all sorts, and you can have plenty of disguises, a tourist, a passer-by; even a homeless, and you can sit and check on people. I detected a certain pattern with some people; it took me four days to confirm what I had deduced, and that way I was able to identify the dealers and their clients. I made friends with one of the addicts, a teenager, and he promised to help me, to get me in contact with one of the dealers. The fifth day, I was taken to an especial location at the Tiergarten Park. That day, and I’m so sorry John; I had to sample the product, they wanted to make sure that I, in fact; am an addict; it was a matter of trust” Sherlock looked at John apologetically, and John just kissed him, trying to understand the many experiences his husband had to live in order to survive. They sat quietly for a while on an improvised bench near the memorial, just holding hands and looking at people pass by.

“We should go to the Tiergarten” Sherlock said after a while “We shouldn’t walk, it’s over an hour walk, so we should take a cab” Sherlock said standing up and walking to the main street. He hailed a cab and ordered the cabbie to drive them to the park. Once there, John felt immediately relaxed. The park was covered in snow, and it looked like a winter wonderland. They walked through the park and John was excited to see a few animals, mostly hares; he felt like a child, he kissed Sherlock repeatedly; it was thanks to him that he could visit such a beautiful place. They walked holding each other, fighting the cold with their bodies, until John asked to go to a warmer place, his shoulder was acting up.

“I’m sorry love, I’d love to keep on walking, but the cold is killing me, even though I feel warm, I can feel the cold in my bones” He said burrowing further on Sherlock’s coat. Sherlock hugged him and kissed his forehead

“Let’s get a warm drink, let’s hope tomorrow we have a better day, it’s starting to snow again” They walked out of the park and returned to Alexanderplatz, to the suite. There, Sherlock lit the fireplace and made some tea. They sat next to the fire, John feeling more comfortable with the heat that emanated from the fire.

“After you “sampled” the product, what happened, did you use again?” John asked, he wanted to know

“Yes John, I’m sorry, I prefer the usual seven percent solution instead of snorting powder; the high is very different, so I refused to use, I found ways, but I did suffer from severe withdrawal” John winced and Sherlock felt guilty but there was nothing he could do, it was either use or die, literally “Since I had proved to be the perfect addict, and a potential dealer, convincing some “buyers”, all undercover agents, to purchase the drug; they trusted me, and they took me to one of the storage sites, near the old industrial district of Berlin; some abandoned factories and warehouses served their purposes; and I was taken to one of them. I visited them for several days, Daniel posing as a buyer and Gustav as his body guard; I had landed them an important client, so I was given the names of some locations and contacts, and I took them down one by one, never raising suspicion about me” Sherlock poked the fire and went to make some more tea.

“How many did you take down?”

“About fourteen; I took me several days, and some were captured the same day. The final one, the one that tortured me, he was some sort of drug lord; he was in direct contact with Moriarty. I found him after two weeks. The night Gustav mentioned, I was supposed to contact him, and he saw me talking to Gustav. We were near the industrial district and I was leading Gustav to one of the factories when they spotted us. The man that tortured me called him by his name and Gustav flinched. I tried to explain him that he was a client but the guy wasn’t convinced. After I knocked Gustav unconscious, he knocked me down. When I woke up, I was chained to the floor, and this guy was sitting in front of me. As you may remember, my false identity was Victor Geiger; he kept asking me my name and I kept repeating it, and he was convinced that I was lying; every time I said my name was Victor Geiger he would hit me in the legs with the riding crop” Sherlock shivered at the memory, John pulled him to his lap and patted his head softly, playing with his curls.

“I had to lie and use my French identity, Andrej Mercier; that calmed him a little; he had been hitting me for almost four hours. He then asked me who I worked for and I gave him Daniel’s codename, pretending that he was after his head; that he wanted to control drug trafficking in Berlin. He asked me to call him and checked my phone, since there were no numbers on it; he tried to beat the number out of me. I had to lie again and tell him that it was Daniel the one that called me, and always from a private number, he thought Mycroft’s calls were Daniel’s. It took the team two days to come and get me, because they needed to find most of the members before capturing the big fish; he had to contact someone in Russia about a delivery and I needed a name” Sherlock leaned closer to John’s touch, closing his eyes and feeling his hands on his hair “The name was Dimitri Blanicoff. After I left Berlin, the order was to find Blanicoff but not kill him; he was my liaison with the actual drug lord that was in contact with Moriarty, a guy called Gavrilov” John’s eyes widened, it was all a game, all the time. He kept stroking Sherlock’s head, carding his fingers in his curls.

“So, Blanicoff was part of the play all the time?” John asked, still in awe

“Yes, he was a key player, he actually loved to talk, and he was truly smug about his contacts; it was really easy to question him after a couple of vodkas” Sherlock chuckled

“So he was an easy drunk?” John was amused

“Too easy, I think I somehow aided him to become the big boss, but apparently that was the plan all along”

“And what happened after. How did you choose your destinations?”

“It wasn’t easy, but I had to follow the trail. Remember when we first met Moriarty? During the “Great Game”?” Sherlock quoted and rolled his eyes.

“Yes love, I remember perfectly being tied up with C4” John sighed dramatically

“Remember the lost Vermeer?”

“Of course”

“Well, I had to follow the trail to the Czech Republic, and that’s how I decided my next destination”

“So you went all the way to the Czech Republic after Germany?”

“No, I went to Lithuania first, the trail led me there, some connections had to be severed before going to the Czech Republic”

“You left the Czech Republic last?”

“Next to last, once I was finished with the Czechs I was able to infiltrate Belarus and after that Serbia”

“Then London?”

“Yes, London, though for a while I regretted coming back” Sherlock opened his eyes and looked up at John

“We don’t need to go there” John sighed, they had discussed it many times

“You have questions” Sherlock analysed him

“Yes, I do” John cleared his throat “I’ve been meaning to ask, why Victor Geiger?”

Sherlock looked up, but avoided to look at John, he shifted on John’s lap and sat up, taking John’s hands in his. He kissed him before he continued; hoping that it all will end well; his well-hidden insecurity striking again

“Well, every name was chosen with a purpose, code names related to a moment of my life or to an ability, and even to old… acquaintances” Sherlock looked away and stared at the fire

“Old acquaintances?” John cupped Sherlock’s face forcing him to look back

“Yes, old acquaintances. The name I gave you… well, your last name means John, and you name means “bold as a bear” because that’s what and who you are” Sherlock kissed John deeply “And my last name, Geiger, means fiddler, since I like the violin, oh, and Mercier means “merchant”, a negotiator”

“That is… brilliant, amazing, only you could have come up with something like that” John smiled happy “But why Victor?” John kissed him back and Sherlock lingered for a little longer over John’s lips

“Victor is…” Sherlock looked down “Was…” He corrected “Sort of a friend. Remember Sebastian Wilkes?”

“How could I forget him” John rolled his eyes annoyed “But why are you trailing off?” John sounded serious

“I met Victor at Uni, and… I had a crush on him” Sherlock blushed “and he… he…” Sherlock closed his eyes and shook his head “He is the reason why I started with the drugs. One particular night, I…” Sherlock hugged his legs and looked at the fire again; John shifted closer and stroked his back, slowly and tenderly “I… I… was… “invited”… to a party, and they wanted me to “deduce” boys and girls, they wanted me to spot the “easy lays”… and… choose one…” Sherlock rubbed his face with both his hands

“Are you sure you want to tell me this? It’s okay if you don’t” John was concerned, some memories proved to be harder to share than others

“I do want to tell you, John. I just don’t want you to hate me”

“How could I hate you? Why would I hate you? It’s your past, it’s what made you, and you’re different now. I love you Sherlock, I may get angry but it’ll pass; no matter what, I love you” John embraced him and stroked his back “We can talk about it some other time, better tell me what happened after the “boss” leaked your name”           

“Well” Sherlock sighed, clearly relieved “After that, after Berlin, I couldn’t change my identity anymore; since my codename was compromised I had to use it in all Eastern Europe, sometimes posing as a business man, others as a junkie. It became easier to pretend, though all went to hell when I went to China…” Sherlock shook his head, as if trying to clear it from the hurtful memory. John held him closer and kissed his temple

“We can talk more tomorrow, love; right now all I want to do is get something to eat and cuddle in bed with you, maybe watch some telly and rest for a little, it’s too cold, and we are both tired, after all, you’re just recuperating from a gunshot wound”

“You’re right John” Sherlock nuzzled his neck and moved from the small love seat to the kitchen. They cooked together, some soup was in order, and then they went to bed and watched some telly. The next morning the day was clear and they went out of the suite, they walked for a while before Sherlock decided to visit the cathedral. John took as many photos as possible, and they went home before it snowed more. The next few days they visited museums and monuments, talking about everything but the truth behind their trip. John already knew what had happened in Berlin, and that was enough.

New Year’s Eve was approaching, and they were excited about this especial date, it meant new beginnings, and most of all, second chances. They celebrated New Year’s Eve making love by the fire, just the two of them, as planned. The next day they slept in, Sherlock was getting bored, not going out, but John managed to keep him deliciously distracted, they watched some movies and cuddled under the covers for the remaining of the day; it was too cold to go outside. Their families and friends called them to wish them a Happy New Year, and they talked to Mrs. Hudson for about an hour; she was with her sister, she told them that Mycroft had installed a security system, and that she would go to their flat to clean it every week, as she had been doing for the past two months.

John was grateful to her, Sherlock, on the other hand…  had to accept that being away for two years meant that he was no longer in control of what happened at their flat. That afternoon, they received a call from Mycroft, he had some news that affected their trip, and they had to change the way they planned to travel and go to Eastern Europe.

“Be nice love” John pinched his butt and kissed his nose before he answered his phone. Sherlock shot him one of his ‘seriously John?’ glares but decided to be polite, for once

“Brother” Sherlock greeted “To what do we owe the _pleasure_?”

“And Happy New Year to you too, brother mine” Mycroft snared

“Be nice girls!” John scolded; he heard them sigh and rolled his eyes before he sat next to his husband

“Happy New Year, John” Mycroft greeted him

“Happy New Year, Mycroft” John greeted too

“The point?” Sherlock asked exasperated

“Right, there is a small issue of a war developing in the eastern regions of Europe” Mycroft spoke in his usual manner

“And this affects us how?”

“It affects you more than you can imagine, little brother”

“And why?”

“Well, the war is between Russia and Ukraine; two of your destinations. I think that you may need to change your means of transportation for that portion of the trip. I can ensure your safety, but you need to be more careful; not drawing much attention, never staying more than two nights at the same hotel; you know how it works; and remember; Turkey is too hot now”

“I’m aware of that, actually, our trips to any Middle East countries will be made only by plane and no more than a week in each”

“Glad you planned ahead brother, you’re mostly… efficient”

“Mycroft” John warned

“Old habits die hard” Mycroft retorted

“Try!” John ordered

“As I was saying; do take care of yourselves when you visit the colder corners of Europe, after all, there is only so much I can do to help, being all the way here in old London”

“Right… poor defenceless Mycroft and his MI6, CIA, FBI, Interpol… am I forgetting any other connections?” Sherlock sneered

“Boys!” John scolded again “Any way… Is that it Mycroft?”

“Yes, except, one other thing; do call Gregory, as soon as you seem convenient, he needs your assistance; oh… and buy a new car; I can have someone driving your old one back”

“A new car?” John looked at the phone as if Mycroft could materialise to answer his question

“Yours have been… spotted. I’ll suggest something sturdier, maybe less conspicuous than a Jaguar F- Type…” Another sneer

“And what do you suggests I get, _brother_ ” The word was drenched with disdain

“A hummer?” It sounded like a joke

“And how is that less conspicuous?” Sherlock snorted

“Think to where you are driving brother. Perhaps some… friends… can be of assistance, you know”

“I’ll talk to them in the morning; in the meantime, tell your little bird to take the car back to Baker”

“Will do, good bye brother mine, John” And with that the call ended.

“He keeps treating us like children, someday, soon, I’m going to punch your brother right in the face” John said making a fist in front of his face.

 “I’ll help you” Sherlock kissed John and got up from the love seat “tomorrow we’ll buy a car. I have the feeling that we should leave Berlin soon” Sherlock moved to the bedroom “Coming?” he winked


	18. Poland. January 2nd and January 3rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys arrive to Poland and share some fluffly times. Tooth-roothing fluff, just the way I like it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update, but my stepdad, also know as my Papa, my Dad, my Father, my Best Friend, a wonderful man, the best, the greatest, the one and only, passed away on thursday after losing his battle against the big C... I've decided to keep on writting, because he was my best critic, the one that inspired me to keep on with the story and the one that told me all about the countries I decided to explore with this wee fic... He travelled around the world and shared with me, along the years, all about his crazy adventures, how he ended up travelling around Europe during the seventies, and how his long hair and longer beard caused him some troubles in Germany and how he was well received, for the same reason, in Turkey...  
> I hope I can make you proud with my sillyness Papa... Wherever you are, I hope you can keep on reading me. I love you... And I'll miss you... always

“So, these… friends… your brother mentioned, who are they?” John asked climbing a set of stairs to a car dealership office

“Friends that will give us the perfect car; as soon as we drive off I’ll tell you” Sherlock answered entering an office

They bought a Mercedes G-Class, black and sturdy, as Mycroft suggested, a 4x4 that had some special features; for example, a diesel motor, and bullet proof windows and body.

“These… friends… specialise in “bespoke” cars, to accommodate the needs of their many clients, for example politicians and very wealthy people, like we are now. Their cars have some especial features, for example bullet proof windows and body; like ours, and this particular car can use both gas and diesel, just in case”

“Oh, so they specialise in costume made cars?”

“Exactly; we should go back to the suite and pack; I want to leave to Poland this afternoon”

“No stops?”

“Only if you want to”

“Then I should drive first, love”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup, don’t worry about me, besides, that way I can get to drive a huge car for once, because you drove me all the way to Dartmoor and back, remember?”

“That was a fun trip. I’m sorry for what I said though”

“That I’m your only friend? I loved it”

“No, that you’re a conductor of light”

“That? Really? It was a compliment, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, in a way, but you’re not just a conductor of light; you’re a beacon, you guide me. It’s true what I said about you keeping me right; you’re my moral compass and I follow your light, not the other way around” Sherlock kissed John’s hand

“Now, that is a compliment” John giggled “I have a confession to make about that trip”

“Huh?”

“When you grabbed my arm… I kind of wanted for you to kiss me… but then you said I was your only friend and… well I didn’t want to ruin what was just beginning” John blushed

“Really?” Sherlock blushed too

“Yes” John sighed, remembering the feeling of Sherlock’s lips on his that first time

“I wanted to kiss you too, but you were so upset that I had no idea what to do, and I just let the opportunity pass; you were so angry about Irene… and I feared that if I did something you might leave”

“What a couple of idiots…” John shook his head and smiled “I spent too much time denying that I loved you and you stepping on eggshells to not let me know that you loved me”

“But now we are together and that’s what’s important” Sherlock smiled back

“Are you the romantic now?” John teased

“Only because of you, so get used to it; you mush my brain and I can’t think properly; though when on a case, all I need is to see you and everything becomes clear, and I can think about everything in seconds, finding answers to every question”

“Another compliment? It must be Christmas” John joked

“Shut up, John” Sherlock blushed hard

“I love you Sherlock”

“I love you John”

After an hour and a half drive; John pulled over at a café in Frankfurt (Oder). There wasn’t much to do in the little town, but they walked for a while, remembering their trip to Dartmoor

“I still can’t believe you drugged me” John bumped Sherlock playfully

“I needed to experiment, but I swear I’ll never do that again. There is one thing you need to understand; I’ll never experiment with someone I don’t know”

“So, I’m your personal guinea pig?” John asked kissing Sherlock’s nose

“Of sorts, what I mean is that I trust you enough to perform a ridiculous experiment with you, because I know, somehow, that you’ll forgive me” Sherlock looked down “I’m sorry love… Never again”

And John knew, whenever Sherlock called him love it meant he was truly sorry, and not only sorry, but regretful. He kissed Sherlock deeply and hugged him, holding him close while they walked back to their car.

Next stop: Poland.

John drove, following Sherlock’s instructions and listening to him as he talked about Poland and shared some historic facts, most of them about the time when Poland was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and how it was divided after wars and invaded by Germany during World War II. John had studied those facts during his school years, but listening to Sherlock was mesmerising and he loved how he explained things like a professor.

“You would make a great teacher” John looked at Sherlock briefly before looking back to the road

“A… teacher… God John! I don’t like infants, or teenagers” Sherlock snorted. John immediately looked sad, he pulled over and got off the car and walked to the side of the road. Sure, Mary’s daughter wasn’t his, and now she lived with her real father, but he loved the little baby, he was the first one to hold her in his arms, like a real father; and he wanted to have kids, he had always wanted to be a dad; and now that he was with Sherlock, the idea was in his mind every day; though it was physically impossible, he wanted to have kids with Sherlock, but if Sherlock didn’t want kids, what would he do? It wasn’t a deal breaker, but it made him think

Sherlock followed him out of the car, realising what he had said; John had lost a daughter because of a despicable lie; he had nurtured the baby, all to realise that he wasn’t her father, that she “belonged” to someone else. He went to John and hugged him close

“I’m sorry, John” Sherlock tilted John’s head up so he could see him, but John moved away 

“Its fine” He said, clearly disappointed

“I know it’s not”

“I’m sorry love” John looked up “I miss her… She was mine for a couple of days, and I love her, I just can’t stop loving her” He rubbed his hands, it was cold and he felt sick

“I know love. I’m sorry” Sherlock hugged him close and John buried his nose in Sherlock’s neck

“I meant what I said, you’ll make a great teacher” John sniffed, trying to change the subject

“John, look at me” Sherlock tilted John’s chin up to have him meet his eyes “I meant what I said about kids, I don’t like them, but only because they are not ours. I’d love to teach our children everything, be their teacher. I barely tolerate kids, though if they were ours, it will all be different… though, come to think of it… moulding young minds to be like me sounds interesting” Sherlock said raising an eyebrow in a pensive way. John giggled, and his heart swell with love, Sherlock’s face was amusing and John wanted to kiss him senseless.

“So… you mean you’ll be willing to… have children?” John tried

“I’d love to, as long as it is with you” Sherlock kissed John deeply

“When?” John asked excited

“We can plan it, but I say we wait until our trip is over; it must be very difficult to drive around with a new-born or a toddler, they get tired, and cry and we have to change nappies and feed the baby and everything else. I guess we should plan it during this trip and when we go back to London we can decide how” Sherlock pulled John by the waist and walked back to the car

“That sounds like a great plan to me” John was beaming; Sherlock was acting like the sweet Sherlock he knew and loved, the one that he had fallen in love with all those years back, his best friend, best man, his husband, and he fell in love all over again. They climbed back in the car and John continued to drive; they arrived to Poznan and had to spend the night due to heavy snowing. John was excited to visit the little town, it was beautiful and colourful; the houses were painted with different colours and the Town Square even covered in snow was a beautiful sight. After they checked in their hotel, they walked around the town for a while, looking for a place to have lunch. In the afternoon they visited the cathedral and Sherlock wanted to go to the archaeological museum, so they decided to stay one more night in Poznan.

When they entered their hotel room, John was excited to see that the room, well, the suite they got was all modern, with a tablet to “programme” the room, from the heat to the telly. John felt like a child, he loved techy stuff. Sherlock was looking at him, he saw him play with the tablet, turn the heat and the telly on, touch every surface, and enjoy everything in the room: he sat on every chair, and on the bed, complimenting each.

Sherlock loved John’s innocence, he was beautiful, sweet, loving, and Sherlock felt lucky; he could watch John all day long, and find something new every time, he had different smiles, the polite ones, the annoyed ones, and the ones that he gave Sherlock and no one else, the smiles he’ll have for him were different too, there will be the proud smiles, the disappointed smiles, the -God, how I love you- smiles, the flirty smiles, the -sex now- smiles, and Sherlock would get lost in each and every one of them, he could see the smiles grow wider and illuminate John’s eyes, those were the smiles he loved the most, and those smiles were usually related to him, the smiles that John had when they saw each other after a long day, or the ones after they made love; John wouldn’t smile with his mouth, but with his eyes, and Sherlock would feel content all day, after one of those smiles. And John had sleeping smiles too, he could spend hours watching John dream, and he could see him smile in his sleep; he had a huge smile the first time the slept together, and it lasted for a whole week, it wasn’t a satisfaction smile, or a happy smile, or even a -I just got laid- smile. It was the same smile he had after their first kiss; and the one after they got engaged, and the one he had after they got married, and Sherlock wanted to see that smile always; but he had to wait until John would fall asleep to see it.

John was talking to him, saying something, but he was too concentrated on his face and his smile that he couldn’t listen, his brain in total black-out because of that smile, that child-like smile that made him fall in love, harder and deeper, every day.

“Love, are you listening to me?” Sherlock blinked twice, coming back to earth; he looked at John and smiled at him with that grin that says everything “I was asking if you want to check out the town at night; I was reading that it has some nice sights at night” Sherlock stood from the sofa that was in their room and strode to John. He held him and kissed him deeply, the kiss was breath-taking and he stole a gasp from John’s lips, he moved his tongue and invaded John’s mouth, tasting him, biting his lower lip and his tongue, sucking softly. He held John closer and deepened the kiss, tilting his head slightly and holding John’s head and waist. John’s arms went limp to his sides and his legs failed him, thank God Sherlock was holding him. Sherlock kept moving his mouth, stealing soft moans from John’s throat. He pulled apart to breathe and looked at John; his blue eyes lost behind his dilated pupils, his breathing quick and his pulse erratic.

“Whatever you want to do, love” Sherlock breathed in John’s ear, and John could feel his legs wobbling and his heart beating in his ears, he smiled at Sherlock, with that exact smile Sherlock loved, the one that made him feel loved, ecstatic, excited, and full. He’ll have to kiss John that way every day, just to get that smile out of him. He grabbed John’s hand and left the room, noticing, happy, that John needed to fix his jeans.

John was completely aroused; he had no idea what had caused Sherlock’s reaction, and from where that breath-taking kiss came from, but he sure was glad that Sherlock had kissed him so thoroughly; that was a kiss that they’ll share in very rare occasions, the first time they kissed, the first time they made love, his birthday, the day they got engaged, and the day they got married, and John wanted to be kissed that way at least once a day; though he had no clue what he had done to get THE kiss.

They walked for a while, enjoying the lights and the sights. They ended up in a park and John, feeling playful, threw a snow ball to Sherlock and they began to play; John’s aim was perfect, he was fast and moved quickly, hitting Sherlock every time; they played around for a while, until Sherlock caught John and covered him with snow; they ended up on the ground, rolling around, until Sherlock pinned John to the ground a began kissing him, he let go of John’s hands and moved his to John’s warm face and neck, obtaining a surprised gasp and a smack on his buttock; it was then that he realised his gloved hands must be freezing.

“I’m sorry John, I totally forgot we were on the snow” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek

“It’s okay love. Let’s go back to our hotel” Sherlock helped John getting off the ground and kissed his cheek again. He grabbed John’s hand and walked back to their hotel. While they were walking, John’s stomach growled, and Sherlock just smiled at him. “Food first” He said, kissing John softly on the lips. After dinner at their hotel, they went to their room, and John pinned Sherlock to the wall

“You’ve been teasing me the whole afternoon” His voice was husky and low

“I’ve just been kissing you the whole afternoon” Sherlock answered, his voice low and deep

“Then keep on kissing me” John kissed Sherlock’s neck, and Sherlock turned them, so he was pinning John against the wall. He moved his mouth to John’s neck and kissed and bit the sensitive skin. “Bed” John begged, and Sherlock took his hand and lead him to their bed. “It says here that the room is soundproof” John winked at Sherlock “Should we test it?” He licked his lips and began unbuttoning his shirt. Sherlock followed him, and moved closer, undoing John’s jeans while John moved his hands to undo Sherlock’s.

Sherlock pushed John to the bed and hoovered over him; he looked for the little bottle and he wet his fingers and his palm with the cool liquid; he prepared John slowly, kissing him everywhere, taking his time to entice his husband, slowly, softly; when John was ready, he pushed his finger inside and moved it slowly, grazing John’s prostate, he moved further down and wrapped John with his mouth, swallowing and sucking every time, he wanted John to enjoy every second of it; he twirled his tongue on the tip, and licked all the way down the shaft, tasting John; and sucking again; he bit the sensitive skin on John’s thigs and licked his way to his rim; replacing his finger with his tongue. John was going mad, repeating Sherlock’s name followed by the most picturesque curses that Sherlock could have ever imagine. He could feel John was about to come and pulled away, hearing a curse and a disappointed grunt from John. He aligned with John and eased in, slowly, resting his hands on John’s sides; he moved slowly at first, feeling John surround him, and getting lost in the warmth of John’s body.

Sherlock loved being on the receiving end of things, being the one getting blow jobs, or being penetrated, it gave him a sense of belonging that made him feel calmed and sated, but when he was on the giving side, blowing or penetrating, he felt fulfilled; he loved seeing John’s sated face, his body flushed, his eyes fluttering closed and lost in what Sherlock was doing, his face relaxed and his mind gone.

Sherlock thrusted faster, but not harder, he wanted to feel John. He kissed John’s neck and moved his hands to hold his face, locking gazes, he kissed John the way he had discovered would get him THE smile and he moved slower, enjoying every sound

“I love you, John” he said kissing him deep, moving his tongue to swallow John’s words “I love you so much” He thrusted faster “All I ever want to see is your face” He thrusted harder “And your smile” He kissed him again “I want to be the reason why you smile, always” He bit his lower lip and brushed his tongue against it “I want to make you smile every day, and I’ll do everything to see you smile, always” He hit the spot again and John arched his back “You’re so beautiful, so gorgeous, you take my breath away” Sherlock was now talking in John’s ear, his voice deep and thick “Your skin is so flushed, and I can’t believe I’m the one having you this way” He moved his hands to John’s hips “You drive me mad, your body drives me mad, your lips, I could die on your lips” He kissed John softly, while his hands travelled up and down John’s legs and thigs “Just one touch and I’m gone, my mind turned off” He kept on thrusting, steadily and ghosting over John’s earlobe with his lips “Oh God, I love you John” He said when he felt John coming, he held him close and thrusted one last time, before he came too, kissing John hard on the mouth and savouring him.

John was smiling, the exact smile he needed. He pulled out and laid down on the bed, pulling John close to him and pulling the covers over them. The room was warm, a bit toasty; but Sherlock didn’t care; he held John close and kissed him, all night long, he wanted to feel John on his lips all night and John let him. They drifted into a comfortable sleep, entangled in each other’s arms and legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the emotions... Just lost my beta... Hope you're enjoying the story. Love y'all


	19. Warsaw. January 4th to January 6th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poland secrets are out. And John celebrates his madman's birthday with a wonderful surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!

The next morning, they went to visit the town as planned; John couldn’t keep his hands off Sherlock, and took advantage of every hidden wall, and every dark corner to kiss his husband senseless. It was a true honeymoon now, no cases, no Mycroft, no one to bother them. John was happy and relaxed again; they spent the day strolling around town, taking photos and chatting about the babies they wanted to have.

“I think two is a great number” Sherlock said “I’d like one of each” he snickered

“One of each?” John smiled amused

“Yes, a boy, Hamish” John rolled his eyes “and a girl…”

“Violet” John said interrupting him, and this time Sherlock rolled his eyes “You chose the boy’s name, it’s only fair I choose the girl’s” John laughed, he felt utterly happy

Sherlock kissed him again, and walked hand in hand the whole day. They went to the zoo and the botanical garden. That night they tried to sleep, but it was almost impossible, their hands had a mind of their own, and moved all over the place and wouldn’t be satisfied until they had touched every crevice, every muscle, and every patch of soft and rough skin. They slept in, until their stomachs demanded attention. They left the hotel and John decided to drive, to give Sherlock some rest; he winced when he sat and Sherlock kissed him, looking apologetically, John just smiled, he felt happy.

They arrived to Warsaw almost three hours later; they went to their hotel and shared a quick lunch before Sherlock took John to the Chopin Museum. He was excited; he looked like a kid that was allowed to stay up late and on a candy rush. Then they went to the Copernicus Centre and Sherlock couldn’t hold himself; yes, he wasn’t a kid, but he enjoyed the centre as if he was one. John followed him and enjoyed the smile. They went back to their hotel and shared an intimate dinner before going to bed. The next morning, Sherlock took John to the zoo; he found a quiet place, near the bird pavilion and held John’s hand; it was time to talk about Warsaw.

“I left Berlin after three weeks. Gustav and Daniel put me on a train, and I had a rather uncomfortable trip; I spent in hospital for almost four days, Jacques came to look for me, and gave me a new passport, this time I was Victor Geiger, German citizen, and I was a business man. Though nothing on me gave that impression; my hair was longer, and I had grown an incipient beard. I was thinner and looked haggard”

“I bet you looked gorgeous” John licked his lips, making Sherlock blush. “I wonder how you’d look with facial hair” he touched his smooth cheekbones

“Not like you. Rest assured” Sherlock giggled and grabbed John’s beard “I like my doctors well shaved, but I can live with this” He curled his fingers in John’s beard

“I’ll shave it as soon as we go back to the hotel” John grumped

“I didn’t say you have to shave” Sherlock gaped

“We’ll discuss it later” John kissed him “What happened when you arrived to Warsaw?”

“As soon as I arrived to Warsaw a couple was waiting for me, Lara and Mikhail; we’ll be seeing them before we leave. They had already located a few contacts here; and they had contacted Blanicoff, I had a meeting with him two days later after I arrived, and all the logistic was prepared. He gave me names of contacts and street dealers after the third vodka; he never could hold his liqueur” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “I spent two weeks checking facts, most names checked and the guys captured them easily; though their captures were prepared for the day I left to Czech Republic, so their captures wouldn’t be related to me. I had a few setbacks though, because one of the guys that was helping Blanicoff recognised me from France, and he said that I was a homeless in Paris, and that he couldn’t understand what had happened, that it was more than unusual that a junkie could be as rich as I was in less than two months”

“And what happened? Did they do something to you?” John was concerned, he hopped that Sherlock wasn’t tortured, at least once

“No, Lara, she posed as my sister, said that I had never travelled to Paris, that he was confused and showed them my passport, but the guy wasn’t convinced. That was my first bullet” Sherlock shivered

“Your first bullet?” John looked at him as if he had said a curse word, which were rare and appeared once in a blue moon

“Yes, I had to kill him. He followed me to the safe house and shot Mikhail, fortunately, he was shot in the leg, just a graze, but he held Lara at gunpoint and was about to blow her brains out and I was forced to kill him. After that I was shocked, I couldn’t believe I had to kill a person to defend another person, I had maimed and injured, but never killed anyone. He was irrational, he started groping Lara, licking her face and saying to me ‘how would you like watching me having your sister screaming under me?’ I lost it, he grabbed her breast and she squirmed, he was breathing in her ear, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I pulled my gun out but he didn’t flinch, he just kept on licking her face and groping her breast. He clicked the gun and began undoing her trousers, and I took the shot. He fell backwards, his brain everywhere” Sherlock was shaking, his eyes closed, remembering every detail; he had killed a man. He tried to breathe, to ground himself, but the task proved to be almost impossible. John held him close, stroking his back and trying to comfort him.

“The first time I killed a man” John cleared his throat and Sherlock looked at him “I was on patrol, we were in Kandahar, a quarter in Kandahar. It was the middle of the day and our mission was supposed to be an easy one; it was my second mission, as a matter of fact, my first time in Afghanistan. We had to secure the quarters, give some medical attention to women and children, and leave. We were in a house tending the victims of a recent fire produced by a bomb that exploded accidentally and burned down two houses, there was a gas canister in one of the houses and that’s what fed the fire” John’s gaze was lost in the horizon, looking at nothing in particular “A guy, a teenager, maybe older, but not older than twenty, came to the house we were working and said that he needed help. He was screaming in Dari and I went to help him but he held a gun to my face. I tried to reason with him, speaking in Dari too, but he was going to kill me. His hands were shaking and I began talking to him again; I took advantage of his nervousness and pointed my riffle at him, I didn’t want to shoot” John sighed and cleared his throat again “He yelled at me, calling me a dog, a murderer and other things, but I kept on trying to reason with him; he shot the kid I was working on, in the head and then I saw him falling right in front of me, a bullet between his eyes. I shot him and didn’t even notice, I couldn’t believe I killed the boy” He shuddered and a cold shiver ran down his spine; Sherlock held him close and kissed his temple

“You see Sherlock; you killed a man because he was threatening the life of a person you care about, the exact same way you did with Magnussen” Sherlock looked in his eyes and could see the sadness of the memory “I killed a man because he was threatening me, and my fellow soldiers, and he did killed a kid, a boy, seven at the most, half his body burnt, he had done nothing to deserve what happened to him. We both pulled the trigger because we had to, we needed to” John was holding Sherlock’s face with his hands. Sherlock sighed and leaned into the touch, he was glad that John didn’t think of him as a monster that had killed people “You were in a war, as much as I was, and your missions were even more dangerous than mine” John kissed him tenderly, he pulled Sherlock close and held him for a while, listening to the birds chirp and flap around.

“Let’s go love, we have an entire zoo to visit, and I’m freezing my arse. I need a coffee or something hot, now!” He pulled Sherlock up and walked with him to the nearest coffee shop. They visited the park, sharing their comfortable silence for a while, letting their stories sink on the other’s mind. They returned to their hotel late in the afternoon. Sherlock had planned to visit the conservatory, the Blue Palace and Saxon Palace the next day, and John was excited; he wanted to see Sherlock act like a happy kid again; but he knew he was missing his violin. After a session of rough sex, just the way they like to do it sometimes, Sherlock was snoring loudly and John was fighting sleep. He left the room with the perfect excuse; get coffee, just in case Sherlock asked. He called Mycroft and asked him to send Sherlock’s violin, he could notice the twitch in his fingers; it was a mistake leaving the instrument.

“Hello Mycroft, I need a favour; it’s for Sherlock’s birthday” John said, and no further explanation was needed, Mycroft cut him before he could even say he wanted the violin

“Warsaw. Sure, John” Mycroft said “It’ll be there tomorrow morning. Thank you for taking such good care of my brother. Need anything else?”

“Not going to ask how, but thanks, keep an eye on everyone. Bye”

He returned to their room and Sherlock was sleep still. He climbed into bed and hugged his husband, he kissed his neck and nuzzled close to him and fell asleep, feeling happy and loved.

The next morning, before they could leave the hotel, a package was delivered to Sherlock; he opened it curiously and his eyes widened when he saw what it was. He took his violin and grazed it, feeling absolutely happy; one of the things he had missed the most while he was away was his violin, and when he returned it was difficult playing again, but the music helped him cope with his nightmares, and also pour every feeling he had for John through the music.

Inside the package he found a tin filled with Mrs. Hudson’s biscuits, several folders with colds cases, a file from Molly and a birthday card from his parents, he had completely forgot it was his birthday. He narrowed his eyes and looked at John, he was smiling at him, with that smile he loved, but it was a smug smile too.

“You planned this” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. John nodded. Sherlock kissed him deeply and moved his hand to hold him by the waist “Back to the room, then?” Sherlock looked at him but John shook his head, he had planned the whole day. He pulled Sherlock by the hand and led him to the hotel restaurant for breakfast; he left him alone for a while and talked to the bellboy that had helped them with their bags. He gave him the package and received a piece of paper. Sherlock was curious, but he had learned, in time, that it was best to let John surprise him.

They left the hotel and John took him for a long drive, they ended up in Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa Wola. Sherlock was so excited when they arrived, that he ran all over the place, looking at things in the museum, entering every room and breathing the air. He loved all classical composers, from Mozart to Orff; but Chopin had something that made him feel different, according to Sherlock, his music could be played with every instrument that existed, and his violin compositions helped him convey everything he was feeling, even though Mozart was his favourite composer, and he loved him; Chopin was part of his heart.

“We should go to Vienna” he said suddenly, startling John who was lost looking at a painting of the composer

“Vienna?” John raised an eyebrow

“Yes, Vienna, and visit the Mozart Museum”

“I’d love to” John beamed

They walked through the park for a while, holding hands and kissing each other, then John’s stomach grumbled and Sherlock giggled, his man was always hungry “Plans for lunch?” He smirked

“You bet” John kissed him and pulled him into an embrace “Let’s go love. Long day ahead”

After their morning outing, they went, as planned, to the conservatory and Sherlock played a violin for a while, while some kids watched in awe; his technique flawless and his ability to compose in a few minutes simply fantastic. John looked at him in awe too; his music was sweeter now, more relaxed, very different from the first compositions he had heard, and much more different from the one he gave him and… never mind. They went to the Saxon Palace and walked almost all day long; Sherlock showing John the places he had hid during his stay in Warsaw

“I had to stay in less than… comfortable… places sometimes, you saw where I had to sleep while in Paris, but here in Warsaw I had a chance to rest an heal, it was sort of a nice rest stop, but I didn’t sleep or eat much, there wasn’t enough time with me following drug dealers and avoid getting killed. I wrote to you while I was on the train ride here, but you never answered me; I thought you might have changed your number. I felt really sad, but I thought maybe it was best, I might get you in trouble and I didn’t want that. I called Mycroft and asked about you and Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade, but he didn’t answer any of my questions, all he said was that you were alive and that that should suffice”   

John felt guilty, he had deleted the text he received from this stranger, he wasn’t in the mood to entertain a complete stranger; it was a rough day, it was Christmas, and of course, Sherlock being Sherlock, he probably forgot all about it. He missed his friend; he was going mad, his nightmare always the same one, Sherlock falling.

“Speaking of Greg” John cleared his throat to swallow the hard memory “Your brother said we should call him, remember?”

“Right” Sherlock looked at him; he knew the memory must have hurt him; he rubbed John’s back trying to comfort him “I guess I should call him now” He said pulling out his mobile

“Hello?” A muffled voice came from the other side

“Greg?” John called and he could hear some movement on the other side

“Hi mate!” The excited voice of Greg greeted him “How are you, how’s the trip going, how’s Sherlock?” He fired

“We are great, sorry to call you just now, but we’ve been… preoccupied with some things” John cleared his throat

“Don’t worry mate. I figured that much” He laughed at the implied joke

“Mycroft said to call you” Sherlock spoke

“Yes, I have something to ask you, to tell you, but I would rather do it looking at you in the face” He sounded uncomfortable and shy

“You mean about you and my brother? Say hello to him for me” Sherlock smirked

“How? Why? I don’t want to know” Greg chuckled. Sherlock was about to explain but John looked at him with his -Don’t be a prick- look and Sherlock zipped his lips close.

“Congratulations… I guess?” John didn’t know what to say

“If you ever say I said this I’ll deny it. Take care of him” Sherlock warned “And remember, no matter where you hide, I’ll find you and break your legs” He smiled widely, scaring John

“Thanks?” They heard a surprised Mycroft on the other side of the line. John was in awe and Sherlock rolled his eyes.

“I’ll text you about the cases Lestrade. Goodbye”

“Happy birthday Sherlock” Greg said before ending the call

“How did you…?” John asked him

“He was clearly otherwise… preoccupied” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek, thanking him for letting him explain his deduction “It was obvious” He smirked “His voice was muffled by some fabric; sheets, I surmise. He shifted in bed clearly moving a body away from his; the bed creaked, and it seemed as if an elephant was moving away from his bed, so, another body next to his. Why Mycroft? Because they’ve been dancing around each other since the day they meet at my hospital room all those years ago. A dinner date once a week, it was bound to happen, though it took them enough time. And after your wedding, well, he had divorced and Molly told me she and Tom drove him to my brother’s house. Besides, Mycroft called him Gregory the other day; he had always referred to him as DI Lestrade, a slip of his tongue”

“Amazing, as always” John beamed and praised his husband with a kiss. Sherlock blushed hard and kissed him back

“Now, we have places to go, people to visit, cases to solve. Shall we?” Sherlock gave John his arm and they left the Saxon Gardens. That night, Sherlock thanked John thoroughly and repeatedly, shagging his wonderful husband senseless.


	20. Change of plans. January 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk funny John! Feels about Sherlock's time in Poland and a slight change in the trip plans the boys made beforehand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

The next morning, a very late one for both, began with a call

“Mikhail?” Sherlock answered with a sleepy voice

“The Sherlock Holmes sleeping?” Mikhail joked

“I find it rewarding now” Sherlock chuckled “In the rare occurrences when it happens, of course” He left the bed to not wake John

“Jacques called, said you’re here and I was wondering if you want to have dinner with me and the missus” Mikhail asked

“Sure” Sherlock smiled “I was planning on calling you before I left Poland, but your timing is perfect; I been planning on going to Budapest for a couple of days before going to Lithuania”

“Tonight then? By the way, Lara says hi”

“Let me check with John and I’ll let you know, tell her hi too”

“John?” Mikhail snickered

“I’ll explain it at dinner” Sherlock shook his head and sighed, rolling his eyes

“Call me then?”

“Sure, bye”

“Who was that?” John asked, hugging his husband by the back and kissing his neck

“That was Mikhail. He invited us to dinner but I said I had to ask you first” Sherlock turned in John’s arms and kissed him

“Mm… Good morning to you too” John kissed his neck and moved his hand to Sherlock’s bare arse, pulling him closer and feeling his arousal “So, breakfast first and then breakfast?” John kissed him deeply and Sherlock nodded. After a very fulfilling… breakfast and a very thorough… shower, they left their room and had real breakfast

“So dinner? When?” John asked after swallowing his fruit

“Tonight, he said to call him if we want to have dinner tonight”

“It sounds like a plan” John took another bite of his papaya

“I want to propose something” Sherlock looked serious

“Sorry mate, too late, I’m already married” John teased, showing his ring finger and Sherlock smiled

“Damn, I’m too late then; though I must tell you I’m married to my work so it might just be a torrid romance, if you agree with the terms that is” Sherlock continued the joke, sounding very serious, taping his fingers on the table

“I should think about it, as a matter of fact my husband is just like you, he’s married to his work too, but the work and I have come to an agreement, and now we share him; so I guess I can squeeze you in my very, very, very busy agenda” John laughed

“I don’t think I can share you” Sherlock sighed dramatically and moved an arm over his eyes pretending to be hurt. John squeezed his hand and pulled it over the table to kiss it

“A proposal?” John asked

“Yes, I want to go to Austria and Hungary, would you mind terribly if we change our plans a little?” He looked at John, hopefully

“Of course not love, we have a lot of time, besides, I don’t think that we will be spending a month in Russia, unless you have plans to drive me to Siberia” John joked. Sherlock smiled too, he wanted to visit every place with John before going to China and Japan, and boy; he had plans for Italy!

“You should know that I travelled by train to almost everywhere, and I had to travel by boat to the United States, so that took a lot of time” Sherlock explained

“Yes dear” John rolled his eyes “I assumed that much” he sighed “When we’ll be leaving?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Sounds great, so dinner tonight and travel tomorrow; I like the plan” John smiled and kissed Sherlock’s hand again

That afternoon, they visited an old market and bought some knick-knacks for Mrs. Hudson and Violet, they found and old pipe for Siger and bought some tobacco for Greg; and an old microscope that Sherlock wanted, they found a silver cat for Molly and a very nice umbrella for Mycroft.

They met Mikhail and Lara that night for dinner. As soon as Lara saw Sherlock she jumped to his arms and hugged him and kissed him, patting his back, arms and face, as if to make sure she wasn’t dreaming

“I was so worried about you” She hugged him again and began crying. Sherlock hugged her back and soothed her, patting her back and holding her close. “I’m fine” he kept repeating “I’m here, everything is okay now” he kissed the top of her head. Mikhail moved closer and hugged her, prying her from Sherlock’s arms

“He’s fine honey, see?” He told her, whipping her tears away. She hugged Mikhail this time, crying even more than she cried before

“Nightmares?” Sherlock asked, Mikhail nodded and hugged her close “Not about that day, but about the day you left, we were certain that we will never see you again, but I’m glad that’s not the case” Mikhail grabbed Sherlock’s free hand and moved closer so they both could hug her.

When Lara finally calmed down, she noticed John, she hugged him for a long time and John hugged her back. He was surprised by her reaction, but he had seen how the guys had reacted as soon as they saw Sherlock, hugging him and patting him, making sure he was there, and he felt guilt churn his stomach, everyone who saw Sherlock after the fall, even Greg had hugged him when he came back and John had hit him, thrice! He buried his head in Lara’s neck and squeezed her “Thank you for taking care of him” he said, his voice broke.

Lara raised his head and kissed him on both cheeks “Finally, the famous John! I’m so glad to meet you, and we did nothing for him, he’s the hero here” She said looking at Sherlock. He blushed and dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand “Number Four said she had lost you in Belarus”

“Number four?” John asked

“Tell you later” Sherlock patted his shoulder and pulled him close “Lara, Mikhail, as you already know, this is John, my husband”

“You tied the knot?” Mikhail was surprised, his brow disappeared on his hair line; he was shocked “I knew you were in deep, but not that deep” He smiled, amused, John blushed and hid his head behind Sherlock’s arm. He wasn’t used to hear people talk about him and much less about Sherlock acting like a school boy with a crush.

“Yup” Sherlock nodded “Two months New Year’s Eve” and kissed John’s temple. He was different, he was still insightful, a freaking genius, but he was different, softer, more careful, with slightly better manners, and caring, he could see him unravel, be more extroverted, accept people’s demonstrations of affection more every day; not even Molly had the chance to hug him, though he was sweet and loving with Mary; John was glad that he got to know this softer side of his best friend, and he loved him even more for trying

“Congratulations!” Lara hugged them again and resumed her crying, this time; Sherlock shook her softly and smiled at her.

“Let’s go eat, I’m sure John’s starving” Sherlock joked and began walking towards the restaurant door. They sat in a corner, hoping to have some privacy, but the restaurant was bustling and Sherlock was on high alert, just in case

“So… How did you propose?” Lara asked John

“Actually, Sherlock proposed to me” John turned to look at his husband and held his hand

“Really?” She giggled “And how it happened?” She pried

John blushed, the proposal happened in a very compromising situation, and he wasn’t just going to share it with complete strangers, hell, he didn’t even shared it with his closest friends. Thank God Sherlock was with him and he talked first

“We were celebrating a sort of anniversary” Sherlock cleared his throat

“Anniversary?” Lara looked at him questioningly

“Yes, I thought it would be nice to celebrate the day we met” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand. “We’d been “going out” almost a year and I thought it was time to stop playing the fool and propose to him. We shared a quiet dinner and talked about the day we met and how it changed our lives, and when the moment came, I asked him and he said yes” ‘Thankfully’ Sherlock thought “After that, we decided to get married on my favourite holiday, Halloween, we “tied the knot” two months ago and here we are” he kissed John’s hand

“That’s so romantic!” She beamed and looked at Mikhail. “See? If Sherlock can be romantic, so can you” Lara slapped his hand “This one here proposed me during sex” Mikhail rolled his eyes, John blushed hard, remembering how the actual proposal went, and Sherlock laughed. They both remembered that the proposal had occurred while John was looking for a bottle of lube in his chair and he found a box with a ring inside instead. John looked at Sherlock and they both laughed bending over the table, unable to contain their laughter

“What’s so funny?” Mikhail asked, a bit annoyed

 “Nothing” Sherlock tried to catch his breath and stop laughing but it was almost impossible. He looked at John and John nodded, cleaning a few tears from his eyes and holding his stomach, unable to stop laughing “The truth is that I proposed the same way” He laughed harder and John followed

“I was looking for a bottle of lube when I found the box” John couldn’t breathe; it felt really good laughing this hard “The only romantic thing was him on his knee, even though he was stark naked, and we had dinner watching the telly and nothing more, just another day; in fact I almost missed it because I had other plans but decided to go back home instead” he finally breathed

“Lie!” Sherlock kept on laughing “His plan failed, he was avoiding me because we were in between cases, and I had called his friends and asked them to ditch him so he could come home. I had planned the proposal, but I never imagined it would go that way” He rubbed John’s back

“You… prick” John looked at him, a smile in his eyes “I should have known it was all your doing” He slapped his hand playfully and Sherlock entwined their fingers, kissing John’s hand

“Either way, you’re a romantic Sherlock; I can see John is a romantic too” Lara chirped again, kissing her husband’s cheek and nuzzling his neck, he patted her head softly and kissed her temple. 

“How does it work for you working together and all?” John was curious

“We met at the work. She was my assigned partner, and we’ve been together ever since, almost ten years, married for eight, and two short ones to show off, though the only ones that know about us are the bosses, and now you two”

“It must be difficult going on missions together” John remembered what Sherlock told him

“She’s tough, more than I am, though we’ve had our fair share of ugly” Mikhail kissed her hand “It must be the same way for you; how did you manage knowing he was in danger for almost two years? Because when he arrived he looked haggard and tired, barely slept or ate” Lara nudged him hard and shook his head, her eyes narrowed and he realised he had made a mistake, he pursed his lips and looked apologetically at John.

“I just expected for a miracle, and in the end God granted me what I’ve been asking for” John looked down, his voice filled with emotion, he shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to stop the memories of Sherlock falling from the building before him, and he just a passive witness to it.

“I’m sorry love” Sherlock whispered in his ear “I’m sorry, please, forgive me” He knew exactly what John was feeling, his eyes would lose his shine and his smile would falter, and he would have a difficult time catching his breath and he was sure that tonight was going to be a restless night. John looked up, his eyes reflecting hurt, he pulled John close and soothed him, rubbing his back and murmuring how much he loved him repeatedly until John continued with his meal

“Oh, Sherlock?” Lara tried to distract them. Can you delay your trip?”

“A day or two, if John agrees. Why?”

“Well, we kind of have a case that we can’t solve. It’s a though one and had us befuddled for almost a year”

Sherlock’s eyes sparkled and John nodded, he loved nothing more than Sherlock being happy, and solving cases made him happier than anything, well, almost anything.

“We’ll take it” John said and smiled again, though his smile was a little forced, he still felt the pain caused by the memory

“Great, come by the office tomorrow morning and we will give you the files” Lara smiled back.

During dinner they talked about Sherlock’s “adventures” John already knew all about them, and Lara thanked him for helping her. They shared a few glasses of wine and John was feeling tipsy, it helped him warm up, but he didn’t like being drunk, because his reactions were slower, and he would slur the words, and he would also be clingy and needy, though Sherlock would be there to take care of him, and of course, instead of climbing seventeen steps, he’ll use a lift to go to their room. He stopped drinking after the sixth glass, the sugar of the wine and the sernik (cheesecake) made his drunkenness worst, he felt his legs go limp and he started giggling, as soon as they stood he groped Sherlock’s backside and kissed him sloppily, yelling to anyone that was near that he was a lucky bastard because he was married to a gorgeous man.

Sherlock said goodbye to his amused friends and hailed a cab, as soon as they were in their room, Sherlock forced John to take a bath, that way he’ll be able to sleep better. John left the bathroom and groped Sherlock’s arse once more, kissing him and calling him gorgeous and sexy, he pushed Sherlock to the bed and before he knew it, Sherlock was straddling him and kissing him sweetly. He drifted off and he could hear a violin in the distance, he slept through the night, no nightmares and the echo of Sherlock’s heartbeat in his ear


	21. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson. January 16th (saved on drafts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little casefic inspired by Elementary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Elementary, when Sherlock is teaching Kitty (love the lazy universe!) how to open a door with a rubber band and she uses the technique to give chase to her torturer (Elementary S3 Ep12: The One That Got Away) Kudos to my other Sherlock. Gotta Love Jonny!

**The rubber band killer** (remember to ask Sherlock if I should publish it when he wakes up)

This proved to be one of the most difficult cases Sherlock and I had the opportunity to witness. I thought that after the Blind Banker, and the Bloody Guardsman, we were done with seemingly invisible killers, but I was proved wrong a week ago. The specifics of the case made seem that the women were killed by a ghost or a killer that could turn into air and go through bolted doors and windows

We arrived to Warsaw about a week ago, some acquaintances ~~of ours~~ that work with the local police, had asked us to come and help them solve a series of murders that had them baffled, so we packed and left London in the first flight available.

They of course trusted that ~~my hus…~~ Sherlock could solve it and sent him the first files of the case with all the information they had gathered, photos of the crime scenes, partial finger prints, even the knives that were used to kill one of the victims; but none of the cases seemed to connect to the others, and much less to connect the victims with each other. At some point, the local police even suggested that it could be the work of a copycat; but Sherlock simply snorted and the poor Detective Inspector in charge of the case was left on the verge of tears, Sherlock even suggested that DI Lestrade was cleverer than the whole lot in Warsaw. ~~I think he misses him~~

None of the victims shared the same killing pattern, though there was one thing that they all had in common, they were all left in the same position over the bed, the killer will always position them as if they were being spooned, one arm under their heads, the other one resting in their abdomens, they even looked as if they were simply sleeping comfortably. That’s why the DI suggested a copycat, but as Sherlock “explained” to him, it was impossible that there will be thirteen copycats with the same signature pose, and much less, with the same ability to climb walls and go through bolted windows and doors.

Sherlock was on edge for about four days, pacing the room, playing his violin at odd hours, never eating or sleeping, using more nicotine patches than recommended and of course, being who he is, the cold machine that needed to focus only on the case and nothing else ~~, meaning that he was back to being the pompous prick that I want to punch repeatedly in the face when he acts like that~~. He checked every picture at least twice, the thirteen of them, every woman was killed differently; the first one bleed to death, the second one was poisoned, the third one was shot in the heart, the fourth one was stabbed four times, with four knives, in four… interesting places; she must have died after the fourth stabbing. The fifth one was hanged, the sixth one strangled, the seventh one drowned to death, the eight one drugged and sliced while she was alive. The last four were hanged and stabbed, drowned and bleed to death, drugged and strangled, poisoned and stabbed four times.

After their deaths they were all cleaned and laid down on bed, positioned and left “to rest”; it seemed as if the killer was paying his respects to these women. No door or windows open, or even forced open, no finger prints or any residues of the man that was killing them, no signs of sexual violence or struggle, and except for two of them, no drugs on their systems, no puncture wounds or anything that could provide us with a possible identification. After four days, Sherlock noticed a pattern with the last four victims, they all were killed in two different ways, as if the killer had ran out of ways to kill these women, the next victim, Sherlock surmised, might be killed by a shot in the heart and probably be sliced.

The types of women didn’t follow a pattern either, they were physically different, blondes, brunettes, and red haired women, ages varying between eighteen and twenty-eight, married, single, mothers, all professionals; and that was the clue that Sherlock was looking for, that was what linked them, they all attended the same University, and they all had a professor in common, a science professor that specialised in forensic studies, and they all had studied with him at some point.

Sherlock questioned him, and he acted as nonchalant as possible, his alibi was that he was at the opera the night of the last murder, and he had alibis to most nights. The last victim, number fourteen, was killed as Sherlock predicted, this time it was a nineteen years old woman, a University student that had taken the science course the previous term. Sherlock found a rubber band in her flat, near the door, and he considered it a clue, he held the rubber band for about four hours, until we arrived to the hotel and he kept on looking at the crime scenes photographs; one was perfectly taken, and he saw a rubber band near a door in one of them; only Sherlock and his ~~beautiful~~ brain could have noticed something like that. He decided to pay a visit to the professor, and it proved to be the wisest decision ever. Sherlock sat on one of his classes, and he was teaching them how to bolt and unbolt a door with a rubber band and how to pick a lock. He didn’t notice Sherlock sitting amongst the students, and he had given us his MO without knowing it.

The victims, his students, went with him willingly, after the lock picking, he would invite himself for coffee, tea, even a meal, and after the girls were confident that he was just their professor, he would kill them, clean them, position them in bed and leave the flat, bolting the door before closing it. The police never related the rubber bands to the crime scenes, when those actually were the only items that related all the killings. To caught him red handed, one of the officers (ask Sherlock if I should mention Lara) posed as a student, and she went to his office to ask him to teach her how to unbolt a door and bolt it again; he suggested they’ll go to her house and perform the experiment; he taught her how to pick the lock first, and then how to bolt and unbolt the door; as indicated, he invited himself to the flat and asked for a coffee; after she handed him the coffee, he tried to grab her and render her unconscious and that’s how we found out how he managed to kill them, he rendered them unconscious with a special technique, using a pressure point that rarely bruises near the neck and he tried that technique with the officer.

For once we didn’t have to run to get the killer ~~, thank God~~ , the officer that was with him was faster and arrested him, avoiding his advances very successfully ~~; of course Sherlock sulked the whole afternoon because I didn’t let him risk his life again, the prick~~ ; Sherlock had found enough proofs that he was the killer and conducted the interrogatory, partial prints were taken from the last victim’s neck, and they were a match to the professor’s. Sherlock explained to him how he had killed every woman, with such detail that only the killer could have recalled, but his motives were a mystery until yesterday; all of them had excelled at his class, all of them were better than him at picking a lock, and all of them reminded him of his late mother and his late wife.

The brunettes reminded him of his mother, a jealous and overbearing woman that didn’t let him move or meet other women until she died, he killed her by stabbing, hanging and drowning her. He had to learn how to pick a lock and bolt and unbolt doors to escape his overbearing mother; and the red haired and blonde women reminded him of his late wife, he had killed her by poisoning and slicing her because she wouldn’t allow him to continue his experiments with human bodies (reminds me of someone).

He was charged with sixteen first degree murders, and one attempted murder charges, and sentenced to life in a security facility. As always Sherlock was brilliant, his deductions prefect, and he solved the crime in less than a week, now he is a Consulting Detective to the police in Warsaw, and he promised he’ll help them solving these kinds of crimes, and recommended them to always take as many photos as possible of each crime scene, saying to them that one never knows what kind of unexpected weapon a killer might be using. ~~He was so smug and I loved seeing him so happy~~ He left the police department, his Belstaff swishing dramatically, as always, we might make it to the Polish news ~~, I sure hope we won’t~~ , sadly he won’t be wearing his deerstalker for the pictures.  


	22. Leaving Poland. January 15th to January 19th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our guys leave Poland and John reveals some of his history. His life with Harry and how his parents reacted. Sherlock shares about "the other one".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. A terrible earthquake hit my country and communications have been crappy. I've been helping people around and sharing information from my location. Many cities are affected by it, but I'm one of the fortunate ones, I live far from the epicentre but still felt the earth tremble, and it still does, occasionally.
> 
> All I ask from you is to pray for us, for my people, they need a lot of things, mostly support. If you want to donate, you may ask at your local Ecuadorian Embassy or Consulate or check the link I leave here. You can also donate via UNESCO and get information on how to help us.
> 
> "If you live overseas and would like to donate, you may:  
> Make a Swift Transfer to Account #101602 del Fondo Latinoamericano de Reservas (FLAR)  
> Or make a Swift Transfer to Account #3751560139 at Bank of America in New York  
> This information was translated from http://www.andes.info.ec/.  
> If you live outside of the larger cities and are looking for other options to donate, this list includes a map and the location of MIES, Ministerio de Inclusión Económica y Social, in many smaller towns. The map includes addresses and telephone numbers."
> 
> Thank you for all! Thank you so much for reading. I love you. AFG
> 
> http://www.inclusion.gob.ec/campana-solidaria-de-recoleccion/

Two days after they solved the crime, they left Poland to go to Slovakia. Even though they deserved a much needed rest, they had to attend several official and social acts. Lara and Mikhail invited them to dinner the day before their planned departure and they shared some time with the family. Sherlock was exhausted, he barely slept five hours the whole week, and the one day he could have slept, he was invited to a press conference, a dinner, and he had to sign some paperwork that supported his deductions and his collaboration. The day they were supposed to leave, John forced him to sleep as much as possible and eat as much too. He slept almost fifteen hours, under the watchful eye of his John who spent part of the day reading, preparing their luggage, watching telly and checking his blog, he wrote all that had happened, but now he consulted Sherlock before publishing his entries, he spent part of the afternoon relaxing with his sleeping husband.

The day of their departure, Sherlock drove all the way from Warsaw to Krakow, with one short stop in Piotrkow Trybunalski for coffee and a stroll; and one long stop in Czestochowa. In Piotrkow they visited the old town, shared a coffee and a long stroll; Sherlock looked tired and John was worried, that’s why he made him stop after an hour or so of driving. He was silent; nothing out of the ordinary, but John kept glancing at him; he was lost in his Mind Palace, he could see him thinking hard about something. He was usually sweet, and would talk to John and explain to him about the town they were about to visit, or would share an anecdote or a story about the town, but Sherlock was silent the whole drive.

After they had their coffee, John tried to hold Sherlock’s hand, and he was startled by the action, he withdrew his hand from John’s soft grip and looked lost for a second until he realised that it was John who was trying to hold him. He blinked a couple of times and inhaled sharply, then hugged John close and kissed his temple. John hugged him back but remained silent, Sherlock must have been remembering something too hurtful, and all John could do was be there for him and nothing else. They went back to their car and Sherlock kept on driving, quietly, and John hated the silence.

“I was twelve when Harry came out to our parents” John stared out the window, bringing back the memory, the landscape seemed to match perfectly with his feelings, dark, grey and cold, even though it was beautiful and charming. Sherlock snapped out of his absent minded state and looked at John before holding his hand and placing it on his thigh. John sighed happily and relaxed; he began drawing circles with his fingers on Sherlock’s thigh and continued with his story “She was sixteen, and Dad asked her to leave. Mum tried to protect her, but Dad acted like an animal; he threw her from the house, physically threw her from the house, he forced her out. Mum threatened to leave him if he refused to talk to Harry, and the day mum packed all her things and left to her sister’s house, Dad came around and asked Harry to come back; Mum came back home shortly after, but Dad would always treat Harry differently, as if she was infected with some disease or something. Dad was convinced that gay people were somehow infectious, and he couldn’t wait for Harry to turn eighteen and leave the house” John chuckled and shook his head, Sherlock squeezed his hand softly

“I was thirteen when she left for good. Mum asked her to leave this time. Ever since Dad threw her from the house the first time, she’d picked up the nasty habit of drinking her pain away, and more than once I had to help her clean up, hold her hair and cover for her; Mum feared that I would pick up the same habit, and she said to Harry that she had to leave, because of me. Before she left we barely talked or shared time, she was always annoyed with me; whenever her friends would come to our place she would force me to hide, as if she was embarrassed to be my sister or something; I don’t know why. We never got along, and as we grew older we also grew apart; the only reason I was in touch with her was because of Clara. After I got injured, she was worried that I didn’t have a place to stay; so she offered me her sofa for a couple of days but it was unbearable for me, she kept on drinking and being reckless and I had to leave; she gave me her phone “too keep in touch”, after I met you I decided to visit her, she was intrigued about my new “living” arrangements. She never liked Mary, she said to me once, after you “died”, that you were the perfect match for me, that I had lost my opportunity for fear and because I had lived in denial my whole life. When she received the invitation to our wedding, she called me immediately, to congratulate me for being brave, and stayed sober. I don’t know if she’s sober still” John rubbed his face and looked at Sherlock. It wasn’t easy but he was happy that he could share his memories with him. Sherlock kissed his hand and let it rest on his thigh again. He inhaled deeply and let out a long breath before clearing his throat

“I have an older brother” He began

“I know, Mycroft” John chuckled

“No, I should have said that Mycroft and I have an older brother” John’s eyes widened and he gaped, not believing what he was hearing, before he could ask Sherlock continued “We rarely talk about him, I was really young when he left, I might have been two or three years old. I never asked Mycroft what happened, it was a sensitive topic and we rarely spoke about it; all Mycroft said is that I should never worry about him, that he was fine. I don’t know if he’s alive or not, but I do know that I have an older brother, two or three years older than Mycroft, and as Mycroft once said “he wasn’t the brightest star in the sky”, key word being “wasn’t”. I hope someday we both can meet my brother Sherrinford” Sherlock looked distant and detached as he narrated the story, as if analysing a crime scene. John squeezed his thigh, distracting him briefly

 “Pull over” he ordered

Sherlock did as he was told, the serious tone in John’s voice an incentive to willingly accept what he was told. John climbed out of the car and went to the driver’s side and pulled Sherlock out of the car; he took his hand and walked with him to the side of the road. He hugged him tightly and close; one hand on his lower back and the other on the back of his head, and held him like that for over ten minutes; he then placed his hands on Sherlock’s chest and kissed him softly on the lips, just a graze that lasted a couple of minutes. Sherlock didn’t move, it was a tender kiss, a tender hold, something he had needed and it was given to him in the right moment. Sherlock didn’t deepen the kiss and held John’s hands in his and rested his forehead on John’s. After a few minutes of gazing at each other, John took his hand again and led him to the car; they had so much healing to do, too many trust issues, but slowly they were breaking each other’s walls, and becoming better for each other.

They were silent for the rest of the ride, but this time, the silence was more welcome, it was a comfortable silence, broken only by soft giggles and love words; John praising Sherlock for solving the case in Warsaw, and Sherlock praising John for pointing the ways the women were killed, for being his beacon, his light. They blushed at the praises and shared soft kisses. They arrived to Czestochowa in over an hour and Sherlock wanted to stay there, he was exhausted and John couldn’t agree more; too many emotions for one day.

As soon as they arrived to Czestochowa, they booked a room and rested for a couple of hours, holding each other. Sherlock could feel that John needed this time as much as he did. Talking about cases, or even the dark ages was easier than sharing their previous lives, what had made them, the paths they’ve chosen to be the ones they are now. Though the reasons behind his silence are far more obscure than John could ever imagine; he has tried to be who he was, the same smug, care free, arsehole that he liked being, never worried about anything or anyone, detached, heartless, a machine, the one that John created and shared with the world.

He hugged John while he slept, feeling his breathing, slow, steady, relaxed; he closed his eyes and breathed, encompassing his breathing with John’s, but he didn’t really slept, he went to his Mind Palace and revolved in it for a while. So many things there had changed, his John room was filled with light and different emotions, love, friendship, care, willingness. But the darker rooms, the ones that he had created during the “dark ages” were wide open, and were torturing him, there was information in them that could destroy his new found happiness, what had happened with Irene and with Janine were only two of the many things that John didn’t know, and Sherlock wasn’t sure that he would like to share them.

Karachi was a memory that he’ll have to share with John at some point, and also what had happened after. There were the hours of torture in that room in Serbia, before Mycroft decided to intervene; the broken bones, ribs, the scars, and of course, Moriarty, still locked in that cell in his mind, still badgering him, using his every insecurity against him. He is a changed man, more insecure, and now, he cares, more than he has ever cared; he gave his life for John, something he could have never imagined doing. Another thing that John had no knowledge of was the reason why he returned from the death after Mary shot him, and why he had said goodbye to John when Blanicoff shot him. John had no idea about the countless sleepless nights he had while he was in his “world tour”, thinking how he will ever get John to forgive him, and how many times he pictured the many possible scenarios that could be played when he returned, some too grim to even want to remember.

He’d become a first class liar, a manipulator, a killer, a criminal, one of those scum bags that he was supposed to chase and capture. Maybe caring is really a disadvantage, maybe Mycroft is right, but how could he deny his mind the bliss that is being with John? He deserved peace, didn’t he? Would John leave him once he knew everything that had happened? Would John think that he is also the victim of human error for loving him? He didn’t care much for Janine, but in order to get what he needed he had to play the caring boyfriend part, and he had seen John’s face after Janine left, he could see the hurt and pain in his sapphire eyes. He couldn’t blame it on “the case” anymore; he hadn’t slept with Irene even though John was with what’s-her-face, though she had promised him that he would feel relieved and happy but he knew that wouldn’t happen; and yes, he had to "sleep" with Janine, being her “boyfriend” required that kind of physical contact, and with John there… trying to deny the fact that he had done it because he wanted John. Would John find forgiveness again? Would he be ever truly forgiven? Would he forgive him after he knew who Victor is? Was?

His chest was tight, he had difficulty breathing, and John, his? John, always caring, had thought he was having a nightmare, a bad dream, and now was waking him up with kisses and soothing words. What to do? End the trip claiming exhaustion? Or keep going and hope for the best? He was certain that at some point, Irene will appear again, like she had done for the past five years, how would John react? Would he be forgiven? Did he deserve forgiveness? He felt John’s lips on his, his hand stroking his head gently, his body closer, almost on top of him; but he couldn’t see those eyes, that blue heaven that he always found in John’s eyes, he didn’t deserve it, he didn’t deserve him; in the end, he was the monster, the manipulative prick that had convinced John that he was a good man, that he deserved to be loved. He could feel the tears falling to the sides of his face, and held John tightly, trying to shove his insecurities away; he had to, he needed to, and he’ll have to wait and see if John wanted to stay, even when he knew that the sanest, wisest, most intelligent thing John could do is get away from him.        

“Sherlock, love, wake up, it’s only a bad dream” John’s sweet voice was calling him, with such love and care, but he refused to open his eyes, not yet, he’ll have to find the words to tell him everything, the strength to see John leave him, again. He couldn’t lie, not anymore, not to John, he had to be honest no matter what, no matter the pain to come; John deserved best, even though he wasn’t the best.

“Sherlock, can you hear me? Open your eyes, it’s nothing but a bad dream” John insisted. ‘Is it only a bad dream? Is all this happiness, all this bliss, just a bad dream? Am I to open my eyes and not find you here, with me? Would you still love me after all? Or is my life the real bad dream? Do I truly deserve you? Am I truly a good man?’

“Sherlock!” John was shaking him now, he had to open his eyes, John’s voice was filled with panic and he didn’t want to hurt him anymore, never again, but he couldn’t lie and pretend that he was having a bad dream, not this time. “Sherlock! Wake up!” He surrendered and opened his eyes, he took a shaky breath and ran his thumb over John’s cheek; John leaned to the touch and closed his eyes, then he smiled, with that smile that melted Sherlock to the core, THE smile that Sherlock loved. What to do?

“Sorry love” Would he be able to call him love ever again? “Mind Palace” Honesty, damn honesty

“I thought you were sleeping” John frowned

“I tried, but your face was so beautiful and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you” Sherlock smiled with that crooked smile of his “And I went to my Mind Palace to save it in your room”

“My room?” John giggled

“Yes, your room, though I must admit that now is more your palace in my mind that MY Mind Palace” Sherlock tried to smile. ‘No more lies, not even to pretend that I’m fine’

John noticed, of course he noticed that Sherlock is sad, and worried, but he decided, for his own sake, to let it slide, at least for today. “And how does my room looks like? What’s inside?” John pried, avoiding for a moment Sherlock’s sad eyes and resting his head on his chest, listening to his heart

“Everything about you” Sherlock answered simply “Your different smiles, gestures, faces, looks, walks, jumpers, jeans, books, favourite tea brand, sugarless coffee, armchair, shampoo brand, toothpaste flavour preference, clothes’ detergent; you name it, is there, and now I’m adding more information about your military years and your family” Sherlock kissed the top of his head and John stroked his chest slowly

“So you have me catalogued there?” Sherlock could feel John smiling against his chest

“Yes, though every day I find something new and beautiful about you, I’m never bored with you, you’re always exciting, interesting, and beautiful to watch. The only things that I’ve managed to really catalogue are your faces while you sleep, I know when you’re about to have a bad dream, that’s when I play my violin and I see how your features relax and you dream other things or simply stop dreaming, but even in your sleep you have some indiscernible faces” He stroked John’s head and played with his hair, enjoying the possibly last moments of pure joy with his probably soon to be ex-husband.

“Are you hungry?” John asked “We should go and take a tour of the town, have some coffee, though I would kill for a proper tea” He said getting off the bed and pulling Sherlock up. Sherlock nodded and followed John.

They shared lunch at their hotel and left to visit the town. First they went to visit the Black Madonna and John had to admit, again, that he was a sucker for old things; he loved old houses and weird paintings and images. Being at Jasna Gora Monastery, gave them the chance to walk around the gardens and relax for a little before going back to their hotel. John could feel that Sherlock was all fidgety and nervous; he grabbed his hand and pulled him around until he found a strategically located bench. He pulled Sherlock down to sit and looked at him with concerned eyes.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” John wasn’t angry, but he was worried “You’ve been acting all weird since before we left Warsaw. What’s going on?” He demanded, softly but firmly

‘This is it’ Sherlock thought ‘Make it or break it’ He took a deep breath and looked at John “This is going to be long. Maybe we should get some coffee and then find a more discrete place, preferably an open one” John nodded and got up.


	23. Once in a dark room. January 17th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock shares with John one of his darkest and saddest moments. The truth behind Mycroft's concern and why Sherlock always avoided being touched... until John came

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about non-con and rape, drug use and abuse. If any of this works as a trigger, please don't read

They walked back to their hotel to get coffee, but John decided that he wanted to stay at their room; he ordered a bottle of scotch and two tumblers. He sat on the sofa in their room and patted the seat next to him. He took a large portion of the amber liquid and looked at Sherlock.

“I’m ready now. Shoot” He said and took another shot.

“Victor” Sherlock said, and took a swig of his own drink “He is… was… a University acquaintance. I could call him “friend” but the word is too big for him” He took another swig “He was my first in many ways, my first real case, my first party, where I had to choose an “easy lay”, my first hangover, after said party, my first injection with cocaine and my first snort, my fist kiss and also, my first time with a man” Sherlock avoided John’s gaze. John put his glass down and grabbed Sherlock’s hand. ‘So, there have been more?’ John thought but he kept on listening

“After I refused to pick an “easy lay” Sebastian gave me a drink, and after that I don’t remember much of the party. The drink had flunitrazepam, not enough to knock me out, but enough to numb my every sense. Victor thought I was too infatuated with him, that I will agree to anything he could say; he tried to convince me too kiss him first and then to sleep with him. My mind was in full alert, but my body wasn’t as responsive as it should be. I tried to push him away from me, but it was very difficult, my body weighed a ton and I could barely lift my arms. In the end he kissed me first, and pulled me to a room, and you can imagine what happened there…” Sherlock shuddered “I tried to scream and called for help, but the music was too loud and… I’m still waiting for the memory loss…” He took another swig, finishing his tumbler. John looked at him with horror; he couldn’t believe that Sherlock, his Sherlock was…oh God! No wonder he refused being touched by anyone. He grabbed the glass and served some more, taking a huge swig from his own.

“I left the dorm as soon as I could move properly; Sebastian was gone, he had no idea, or so I believe, about what had happened. I left Victor’s dorm room and went to mine. I had no idea what to do, how to face this, I was aware of everything that had happened, but I also knew that Victor was probably too drugged up to even remember what he had done, or so I thought. I avoided him for a while, but having some common subjects, it was unavoidable to see him every once in a while. A couple days later I went to a doctor’s office and I asked to be tested for everything in the books, whatever disease you can think of, I asked for a test. Thankfully, I was, and still am, clean, and that was a relief. I avoided Sebastian too, though until now, he seems to be totally out of the blue about what happened” Sherlock’s hands were trembling, and he avoided eye contact with John, he took another swig of his drink and saw John do the exact same thing; he was barely breathing, it was more like a huff, a hurt animal’s huff, his knuckles white with the force of his hand holding the tumbler; Sherlock had to remove the dangerous glass from his hand to avoid a terrible accident. He grabbed a cushion and held it with all the strength of his hand and with the other, he was gently holding Sherlock’s hand.

“Sebastian invited me to another party, and I immediately refused to attend, I was not going to put myself in such danger again. That night Victor went to my room and tried to apologise, he said that he was sorry and that he wanted to give me something as a token of goodwill ‘This is my best sample’ he said, and I was curious about the white powder he was holding. I thought that I should try it to indulge my scientific mind, and I accepted the packet. I was eighteen, and about to finish University, so I really didn’t see any harm in trying some. I invited him to my room and he prepared the solution, he taught me how to do it and then helped me prepare my arm and veins and everything, but before that, he taught me how to prepare the powder and how to snort it” Sherlock was breathing heavily, the memories flooding his mind, the sensation, the need, everything, but John’s hand was grounding him; he entwined his fingers with John’s and squeezed them. His body was aching for the perfect seven percent solution, but John was more important than any drug, any memory, only if John left, he would indulge in such despicable acts, and let the drug take him. John squeezed back and Sherlock could feel the need for cocaine leaving his body and being replaced by other kind of needs.

“I could feel everything, and it was easier to deduce, to think, to see, and I deduced that Victor wanted to have sex with me again, and I was able to say no, to punch him and to throw him out, and then I was able to go to my Mind Palace and “delete” what had happened that night, and forget about Victor and the crush I had on him. But seeing him was difficult, and he offered me more drugs to keep coming to my room, and I think he hoped that I will, eventually, end up with him, but I was hurt, and I was afraid. I went back home for Christmas, I had promised Mummy that I’d be there, and I wasn’t as hooked with cocaine yet, so I could survive a week or two without shooting up. But Mycroft noticed that I had changed, that something was off, I had nightmares about the night of the party, and one night, Mycroft was seating on my bed, looking at me, he had murderous eyes, and all he said was ‘I’ll kill him’ and he left my room. When I returned to University, Victor was nowhere to be seen, no one had any idea what had happened to him, but I knew that Mycroft happened to him. I’m sure he’s… somewhere, maybe alive, but I never saw him again” Sherlock sighed and closed his eyes, he could remember perfectly the look Mycroft had, very similar to the one John had now.

“I fought with Mycroft, not because Victor was my “friend” or my “love”, but because he was my dealer. I finished University and then I left, and never went back home. I had found the name of a dealer, he sold the best in London, and I went straight to the city. Part of my homeless network helped me get the drugs. At first, the first few months, I could control it, but then, it controlled me, my seven percent solution became my life, and I needed it; and for over a year I managed to avoid my family and my brother. Mycroft was working for the government already, and he found me on a back alley, he threatened me with telling mummy but I had some dirt on him, and then he started asking me for the famous list; he would send me to rehabilitation facilities and I would escape within the first week and then be lost for at least a month, then Mycroft would find me and I will give him “the list”. First it was cocaine, then I tried morphine, but it numbed me, the same happened with heroin, so I choose cocaine as my number one drug. I tried ketamine and ecstasy, PCP, seconal, percocet, valium, meth, and of course, nicotine, always going back to cocaine. And Mycroft will always find me in a drug house or a back alley, with his cameras. A year and twelve or so rehabilitation centres later, I overdosed and was taken to hospital, I had just turned twenty two. The sergeant that found me was Lestrade, Gregory Lestrade” Sherlock chuckled at the memory and remembered the man that he now considered his friend. John squeezed his fingers; he had to remember to buy Greg something huge to thank him for saving Sherlock.

“He stayed with me part of the night in St. Bart’s, eleven years ago. Now that I think of it, you probably were there, you maybe saw me when I went in and probably you treated me, but I’m sure that if that was the case, I would certainly remember you” Sherlock looked at John and tried to smile, but he wasn’t able “I do remember Gregory’s name, but I change it because it’s my stupid way of being detached, not allowing myself to care, but since you, I find it hard to change his name anymore, because I do care for him, I consider him my friend, and I am grateful that he was there when I needed him the most” Sherlock smiled widely, thinking about poor Lestrade “He held me in my hospital room, I was under arrest. I deduced him and he was amazed, he didn’t call me a freak, but at some point he did tell me to piss off, then smiled and said that I would make a great detective, but to manage that I should stop shooting up. He called Mycroft and when he came I gave him the list. They left for a while and I picked my cuffs, but couldn’t leave because outside my door they had placed several, no less than five, guards and officers, and the windows were closed, and it was raining, and I was wearing a hospital gown, and I was naked, and all was against me” John frowned at this statement, but remembered that he wasn’t listening to any addict, he was listening to Sherlock Holmes.

“When my brother came back he gave me two options, one, live with him for the next two years, go to rehabilitation, and stay clean, or spend seven years in prison for possession and be forced to be clean. I reluctantly choose the first, of course, and Greg offered me a job. At first I was locked up in a rehabilitation centre for almost a year, but Mycroft found out that I was using some less “pernicious” drugs, so he took me out and had me living with him for almost two years. I escaped his house and that’s when Greg received me in his, he helped me this time, I was sent to another rehabilitation centre, where I remained clean, he gave me lots of cold cases, and occasionally took me to crime scenes, that’s the main reason I escaped the first centre, I wanted to go on cases. I created my profession and helped the Yard and Lestrade… Sorry… Greg. He got promoted to DI so he would take me to more crime scenes and call me to more cases, but living with Mycroft proved to be difficult for my chosen career, I had to sneak out to go to crime scenes. After seven months I left the last centre; rented a flat and met you, I was able to live on my own, but Greg had permission to do drugs busts anytime he seemed fit. After we met I wanted to impress you so much, and I was so embarrassed with the drugs bust that I hated Mycroft and Greg with my heart” John remembered the day clearly, he couldn’t believe that Sherlock would use drugs, and that he could be such a fool, destroying his gift for a moment’s high.

“The next time I used was in Germany, because I had to, and avoided using it, but China proved to be the hardest, I needed a little pick me up, but I stopped before going to the United States. The next time was when you found me in that dose house, and the last, before I boarded the plane. I haven’t used ever since” Sherlock looked at John, and John could see the sincerity in his eyes. John rubbed his eyes, he had no idea what to say, how to react; should he be angry? And if so, who with? Sherlock? That arsehole Victor? Mycroft? Greg? Himself? No, he couldn’t be angry, sure, Sherlock knew best, and he decided to take his own path, but so did he, joining the military, serving in Afghanistan, leaving his friends and his family, becoming a shadow, he too was an addict, he needed adrenaline, he needed violence, and his drug proved to be more dangerous, and even more addictive than the one Sherlock was using.

“I’m going to the loo for a sec” John left the sofa and went to the bathroom to wash his face; he needed to sober up before talking to Sherlock. When he came back he could see Sherlock was expectant, and he looked sad, desperate, scared. He sat next to him and pulled him to his lap. Sherlock rested his head in John’s lap and sighed with relief; he was scared, this part of his life was scary, stupid, and he was sure that he didn’t deserve any forgiveness, but he needed John, and he needed John to forgive him. He looked up at John, trying to read him, but as always, it was impossible. John stroked his hair and played with his curls, lost in thought.

“Sherlock” he cleared his throat “I don’t know what to say, I actually don’t know how to react. I want to punch someone, break something, kill someone, do something, but at the same time, I want to hold you, and kiss you and promise to you that no one is ever going to harm you, not even yourself, but I’m torn. I want to scream, yell, I want to leave, but I want to stay, and look at you and feel relaxed. I want to punch you and kiss you, does that make any sense?” He looked down and got lost in the puppy eyes. Sherlock nodded and leaned into John’s touch, closing his eyes, ‘this could be the last time, might as well enjoy it’

“I love you, Sherlock, more than you can imagine, even more than I can imagine, and as I said before, your past is your past, but your future is my future. I can’t judge you for what you did before, but I think I’m allowed to feel a certain amount of anger for the choices you’ve made, because some affect me directly, not in the way that they affect me now or anything like that, but in the way that those choices might have ended up in us never meeting, with you, me or both dead, and that does affect me, because I love you, I need you in my life, you’re my life. I want to kill that Victor bloke, punch him in the face for doing what he did, for taking advantage of you while you were defenceless, and I want to kill Mycroft for not protecting you the way he should have, and I want to kill Greg for treating you like a child, but at the same time I want to thank them both for helping you and for keeping you safe until I came to your life. I want to punch Sebastian so hard, for breaking you, and I want to kill, many times Victor, for breaking you, for hurting you, for killing you the way he did, and I want to punch you first, and then kiss you and make it all better for you, and love you and hold you and never let you go, ever again, keep you in my arms, forever. And I want to punch myself for not accepting in time that I loved you, that I needed you like I need air, for pursuing an idiotic sense of happiness, when all the happiness I can have is with you” He kissed Sherlock softly before continuing

“Don’t be afraid to tell me things, to trust me. Yes, I might get angry, I have already told you this, but you can trust me, the same way I trust you. I’m an addict too, you’ve already pointed that, I’m an adrenaline junky, I love being in danger, and violence feeds me, but you’ve changed me, and the best rush ever is having you in my arms, holding you while you sleep, kissing you whenever I want. I love going on cases, solving them with you, and as you said, I love the thrill of the chase, but I love you more, and I rather spend my life sitting on my chair near the fire, reading a book and rubbing your feet, than not having you at all, because some idiot decided that he wanted to kill you or prove you wrong” He stroked Sherlock’s cheekbone “I’m sorry for what happened to you, but I’m glad that you told me, that you’re willing to heal, and that you trust me enough to tell me all about it. I love you, Sherlock, never forget that, and never forget that I’m here to stay, no matter what. Though I draw the line on cheating on me and lying to me, pretending that your baby is mine” He chuckled, it was the first time he joked about that. Sherlock smiled and looked up at him.

“I promise John, I’ll tell you everything, even if that means that you’ll leave me, but I’m going to be honest. I rather you leaving me for telling you the truth, than you leaving me for lying to you” He pulled John for a kiss.

“Love? May I ask you something?” John asked peppering kisses all over Sherlock’s face

“Mm?” Sherlock hummed and tried to nod but John had his face in his hands

“Why did you choose his name as your fake identity?” He stroked Sherlock’s hair and looked at him intently

“As a reminder of who I never wanted to be again; as a way to admit that I’m human, that I can make mistakes, that I’m vulnerable; and that I can lose everything I love, care about, and hold most dear for thinking that I’m… infallible…” Sherlock closed his eyes

“I like that… though I’d like to forget that name… forever. I wish I was there to protect you, to stop the bastard, to kill him with my bare hands” John kissed him again

“Well, you’re here now” Sherlock cupped his face

“I wish I could delete him from your mind, your body… make him disappear, every trace of him…” John outlined Sherlock’s face

“You’re doing that as we speak” Sherlock said with a husky voice

“I’ll keep doing it, then” John kissed him deeply. Sherlock moved to kiss him better but a knock on the door startled them. Sherlock went over to the door and he could see a couple of kids running away. He smiled and shook his head, he was still dizzy from the alcohol and his stomach was begging for some food; John’s doing, obviously. John went over the door too, not knowing what had kept Sherlock away for so long

“Are you hungry?” Sherlock asked, remembering they had lunch and nothing more.

“I’m starving” John answered and then winked “but for you” he kissed Sherlock deeply. “First dessert then dinner, yeah?” John teased and pulled Sherlock to the sofa and had him sit on his lap.

“Love the idea” Sherlock straddled John and kissed him, tilting his chin up and moving his tongue over John’s lips. He savoured the sour flavour of the scotch and the sweet flavour of John’s mouth, a mix of tea and honey. His hands moved to John’s shirt and unbuttoned it with expert fingers; while John unbuttoned Sherlock’s even quicker. John kissed Sherlock’s neck and removed the shirt, kissing his collarbones and his chest, nipping and biting his nipples. Sherlock’s back arched and he moaned and grabbed John’s hair. John moved his hands to Sherlock back and caressed him, resting his hands on Sherlock’s hips. He moved to kiss Sherlock’s mouth again and undid his jeans, at this; Sherlock moved his hands to John’s jeans and undid them too.

John lifted Sherlock and Sherlock hugged him with his legs; he carried him to the bed and continued kissing him from the waist down, removing his jeans and his silk boxer shorts. Sherlock moved his hands and pushed John’s jeans and red pants out of the way, and wrapped his hand around him, pumping slowly up and down. John gasped and stilled his kiss. He climbed to bed and laid next to Sherlock, enjoying his hand. He rested his head on his arms and closed his eyes, Sherlock’s hand was working wonders, and he tried to hold still but he thrusted against Sherlock’s hand. Sherlock kissed him on the chest and moved down. He kneeled between his legs and wrapped him with his mouth, licking the tip and swallowing him whole. He teased him for a while, with licks from the tip down the shaft and to his hole, humming every time he savoured John. His hands travelled up and down his thigs and hips and drawing little circles.

Sherlock straddled him, and kissed him fiercely swallowing a gasp from John’s mouth, and guided himself to sit on top of John, moving slowly down, steadying himself with one hand on John’s chest and the other one on John’s length. When he was comfortable enough, he moved and John put his hands over his hips and helped him move, slowly at first, falling in their rhythm. John sat up and held Sherlock close, kissing his chest and his neck, feeling Sherlock around him. He thrusted upward a couple of times and Sherlock turned around, never separating from John, giving his back to him. John was breathless; he sat up better and manoeuvred them to have Sherlock on his knees. He thrusted slow at first, but Sherlock was eager

“Faster John, please” he begged once, and John complied, moving faster and hitting the right spot every time, he wrapped a hand around Sherlock and could hear him saying yes, over and over again. “Harder John, there, there…” Sherlock cried and came fast. John followed him after a few more thrusts and collapsed on top of Sherlock, feeling sated. He kissed Sherlock’s back and pulled out, smiling when Sherlock pouted

“Greedy” He joked and went to the bathroom to get a wet rag and dispose of the paper he had used to clean Sherlock up. When he came back Sherlock was waiting for him in the exact same position, kneeling and willing. John licked his lips and climbed back to the bed and kissed his madman. “Room service” John murmured against Sherlock back, Sherlock nodded and let him go, but as soon as he finished the call, he assaulted John again, with hungry kisses; when the bellboy arrived, they were done with the third round.

They ate, and John was looking happily at his husband, he loved watching Sherlock eat. Sherlock smiled back and as soon as he was done with his food, he pulled John to bed again and kissed him senseless, before climbing on top of him. They made love almost all night, before John reminded him that it might be a wise idea to sleep a little, if he wanted to drive all the way to Krakow the next day.

 


	24. Slovakia, January 19th to January 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys arrive to Slovakia and share some sexy and fluffy times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A softer chapter... Enjoy!

They left in the late hours of the morning, after having what John considered was a nutritious breakfast and a proper rest after last night’s… activities… Two hours later they were in Krakow and Sherlock had talked all the way from Czestochowa to Krakow, telling John all about the town, and why he wanted to go there.

“There is an underground museum where you can see how the city looked like during medieval times. It’s called the “Rynek Underground” and I’ve always wanted to visit it. And I know you enjoy war history, so we can go to Auschwitz, if you want”

“I rather go to the underground museum” John shook his head “I really don’t want to think about that war” He said looking at Sherlock “Thank you though. I know you wanted to take me to some of those museums, but I’m grateful that you didn’t; too much pain. I’m so glad you took the other route, instead of the one that goes by the camp” Sherlock was surprised; John had known exactly where the camp was.

“Then the Underground museum, a nice lunch, a nap, and Slovakia tomorrow” Sherlock beamed. He wasn’t keen of war museums either, but he liked pleasing John, by any means possible.

They arrived to their hotel and left to visit the Underground museum; after a couple of hours, they went to eat at a café near their hotel, and strolled for a couple of hours until it was dark. They decided to visit the Salt Mines of Wieliczka the next day, and complete their tour of Poland that way. John wanted to have a beer and Sherlock went with him to a bar where they shared a couple of beers before retiring to their hotel. Sherlock was relaxed, he felt happy, as if a weight was lifted from his chest and he was laughing to John’s jokes and faces as he narrated some war story that he had learned years ago. They went back to their hotel and shared a much needed hot shower before going to bed. Sherlock slept almost all night, and John watched him, he was as relaxed as he was the night after they got married.

They left early in the morning and went to the Salt Mines, they were the first there and John was excited, he was enchanted by the salt sculptures and he felt like a kid again. Sherlock was looking at him and enjoying his face, every “oh!” and “wow!” and every “look!” had him under a spell. He was confident, once again, that John loved him, and that he was, indeed, a good man.

After a couple of hours, they left the salt mines and had a quick lunch in Zilina, they had entered Slovakia and Sherlock’s good mood was back. They arrived to Bratislava two hours later and, Sherlock, being Sherlock, had already booked a room in a nice hotel, and had checked all the places they should go. As soon as they left their bags in their room, Sherlock took John’s hand and lead him to Blue Church, they walked over the riverbank, watching the other side of the city, and John took advantage of the walk to take as many pictures as possible of Sherlock’s growing beard, he looked really handsome, but John had to shave his own for Sherlock to agree to let his facial hair grow.

After the church they visited the statues, and walked from one to the other. It was dark when they returned to their hotel, and Sherlock wanted to take John out for dinner, but he had already called for room service when Sherlock came from the bathroom

“Rain check love” John kissed him “Leg’s killing me”

“Oh” Sherlock said and urged John to sit on the sofa in their room. He took his shoes and socks off, and helped him get his jeans and his shirt off too and pulled a dressing gown over him. He sat on the floor and began rubbing John’s foot going up to his knee and back down. He left John sitting there and went to get some oil he had bought at some point during the trip, for this precise moment. He went back just in time before John could get up and received the room service delivery. He decided to eat first, to avoid John’s scolding and as soon as he was done, he sat on the floor again, and began rubbing John’s leg. His nimble fingers worked a miracle and soon John was painless.

“Mind rubbing my shoulder too?” John half joked. Sherlock nodded and stood with a swift move, before sitting on the sofa behind John. He removed the dressing gown partially and began rubbing, slowly and softly, John’s left shoulder. He moved his fingers over the scar, and moved all the way up to John’s neck, rubbing with a little more force the knots that had formed over the days of sleeping in strange beds, driving and walking all over different towns. He lost himself in the sensation of John’s skin under his fingers, and began rubbing John’s chest absentmindedly, releasing knots and diffusing tension with his nimble fingers. He moved his hands to massage John’s lower back with his thumbs, going up to his neck and back down to his lower back.

John was getting aroused, and he was losing control; Sherlock had no idea what he was doing to him. His fingers drove him mad, and he could feel his skin bristling, his breathing getting heavier, and his pulse getting erratic. He pulled Sherlock from his makeshift seat on to his lap and kissed him. “Bed, now!” He growled and carried Sherlock to bed.

“I thought you were in pain, John” Sherlock said between kisses

“Your damn fingers… bloody violinist!” John huffed and threw Sherlock on the bed. Sherlock yelped with surprise and bounced softly on the bed. John jumped him and began kissing him fiercely. “You’re too overdressed for this” John complained and tried to unbutton Sherlock’s purple shirt (aubergine, John), getting annoyed soon and ripping it off, buttons flying all over the room

“I thought this was your favourite” Sherlock chuckled and opened his trousers before John ripped them off

“I love it, and you look like walking sex on it, but… Yes! Finally off” He didn’t finished the sentence and nipped and sucked Sherlock’s nipple leaving a reddish-purplish love bite and moving to the other. Sherlock arched his back under the touch and caressed John’s back. He felt John’s hand travel down his sides to his trousers and he lifted his hips so John could get rid of the damned fabric.

John ended up ripping the trousers and pants off too, he needed to feel Sherlock’s skin on his. He moved down and not minding about teasing or playing, he simply engulfed him whole and began moving his mouth. Sherlock gasped in surprise and looked between his legs, the sight was gorgeous and what John was doing with his tongue was maddening and sinful; he let his head fall on the bed and moved his hands to each side of John’s hair, tucking and grabbing handfuls of it.

He could feel the delicious stirring of pleasure in his lower abdomen as pure bliss made all the air in his lungs disappear, he couldn’t warn John, too lost in the sensation of his mouth sucking and his tongue swirling, the delicious wetness completely consuming him and shutting his mind off. He closed his eyes and felt how his entire body relaxed, leaving him limp. His brain turned off, nothing but white light invading his eyes and his lungs begging for air.

He tried to breathe, but John’s mouth kept on moving, grounding him; bringing him down. He gulped for air with desperate gasps, lost in every sensation his body was providing him with; he didn’t even realised that John had stuck his fingers inside him, and that he was working his own pants out. Sherlock had barely recovered when he felt John thrusting inside him, with a need that he was too willing to satisfy. He was lying on his side, and John was kissing his back, and with long strokes caressed his side, moving one arm under him to hold him close, and the other to wander over his stomach and chest.

John kissed Sherlock’s ear, and he could hear him panting, moving at a maddening pace; the want growing again between his legs. John hit the perfect spot, after missing it knowingly several times, and Sherlock’s throat thanked him with a desperate cry for more.

“John”

“I know love”

Sherlock encompassed his hips with John’s and could feel John tense up; but he kept on thrusting, this time slower.

“Gorgeous” John panted in Sherlock’s ear

“I love you John”

“I love you Sherlock, always”

“I need you”

“Oh God Sher…” Sherlock could feel John filling him up, his hips thrusting harder and his hand stroking him with the same speed. Sherlock came, again, with John’s name on his lips. John kissed him between his shoulders and held him close. He pulled out slowly and laid on his back, trying to catch his breath, while caressing Sherlock’s back. He closed his eyes and put his arm over his eyes, trying to relax and breathe normally. As always, it was great and he felt so blissful that he was incapable of thinking about anything else but the fullness of his heart and the body of his love panting next to him. He pulled Sherlock to his chest and kissed him on the top of his head; he carded his hair with his fingers and rubbed his face, feeling Sherlock relax. Once he could breathe, he shifted so he could lie on his side and look at Sherlock

“John?” Sherlock was sleepy

“Yes love?” John yawned

“Why did you pull out?” Sherlock pouted and tried to keep his eyes open, post coital bliss taking its toll

“Because I don’t want to hurt you” John replied “I notice that you get sore in the morning, after…” he trailed off

“After we have morning sex and I take advantage of your morning arousal” Sherlock would have rolled his eyes if it weren’t closed

“Yes, that” John yawned again, feeling sleepiness take over his body

“I like to feel you inside of me when I wake” Sherlock spoke after a while and startled John, who resumed his caresses over Sherlock’s back

“And why is that, may I ask?” John wanted to sleep and his voice was slightly annoyed at the interruption of his rest state

“Because when I wake up that way, I know that you’re here, with me, I can feel you, and I know that it’s not a figment of my imagination” John opened his eyes wide and looked at Sherlock, he had his eyes closed and looked peaceful, relaxed “Many mornings before you, my mind would play tricks on me, I would hug a pillow thinking it was you, and when I opened my eyes, my heart filled with sadness and disillusion; even now, even when you sleep next to me, your arms and legs tangled with mine, your heart under my ear, I have mornings when I think that all is a dream, that I can’t be this lucky, and that’s why I need assurance of your presence, because my mind can’t, as much as I would like to pretend it can, create the sensation of your arousal growing inside of me” John moved closer and kissed him softly, locking gazes with Sherlock.

“I need at least thirty more minutes of rest, and then I’ll give you exactly what you want” John’s husky voice caused a shiver to run down Sherlock’s spine

“I love you, John”

“I love you Sherlock” John kissed him deeply and could feel his arousal growing. He caressed Sherlock’s back and deepened the kiss, moving his hand to Sherlock’s bare arse. He moved his fingers down the crease and teased Sherlock’s hole open, while he gave his body enough time to recuperate. Sherlock was helping him too, by stroking his length with soft, swift motions; his thumb drawing circles over his tip and lines down his shaft.

He moved closer and moved between Sherlock’s legs, laying fully on top of him and kissing him slowly, his tongue tasting Sherlock’s mouth. He sucked his tongue, swallowing a moan that escaped Sherlock’s lips. He rested his full body weight on his left knee and moved one hand to grip Sherlock’s hip and guided himself with the other. Sherlock gasped at the feeling and John gave him time to get comfortable with the intrusion. Sherlock nodded and John began rocking their hips with slow and steady motions, kissing Sherlock’s neck and leaving a love bite. Sherlock hugged him with his arms and legs and held him close, feeling the friction of John’s stomach over his now fully grown arousal. John moved his hips in slow, long thrusts; hitting the right spot every time.

“Kiss me, please” Sherlock begged and John moved his mouth to Sherlock’s kissing him deeply, locking gazes; his arms on each side of Sherlock’s head, turning his hips and drawing a circle, getting the so desired sound out of Sherlock’s mouth that drove him mad, that sigh turned into a moan, that meant that Sherlock’s mind had been overrun by pleasure and that he was just for John, and that he was in the moment. He moved faster, feeling his orgasm approaching.                     

“Come for me gorgeous, please come for me” He nibbled Sherlock’s ear, and Sherlock, pliant and pleasing, came as ordered, and John filled him up again. But this time he didn’t move, he collapsed on top of Sherlock and could feel the genius’ arms and legs hold him in place. They both breathing heavily, sweaty and messy, but John didn’t care; he wanted to give Sherlock what he had asked for. Once he could breathe, he moved to grab Sherlock’s ruined shirt and cleaned him again. He moved Sherlock’s leg and manoeuvred them to have Sherlock on his side, his back resting on his chest.

Sherlock sighed happily and before John knew it, he was sleeping soundly, snoring softly, the crease on his forehead gone and his whole body absolutely relaxed and his fingers entwined with John’s. John kissed his back and sighed; his Detective was happy with so little.    

The next couple days went in a daze, visiting museums, walking around town, going out on little dates, going to the opera, and Sherlock playing his violin to John every afternoon. They were relaxed, no boredom, and enough cases to solve, mostly fours and fives, but Sherlock was content; he solved one case a day, with John’s help, always, and they will both call Lestrade and talk to him, then they would call Molly, or Mrs. Hudson, even Sherlock’s parents and Mycroft. They’ll make love every night, and John would always make sure to give Sherlock what he wanted.

The last day in Bratislava, they decided to take a tour through the city, Sherlock handed John the car keys and asked him to drive around, getting lost for the last time before leaving to Budapest. John drove for about two hours, laughing at times, cursing at others, confused with the street names and the houses; that according to John “looked all the same”. Sherlock decided that it was enough torture for his wonderful husband and took the wheel. He drove directly to Budapest, John taking photos of the dying sun over the road and of his husband under the sunset light.


	25. Hungary. January 22nd to January 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive to Hungary and they still struggle with memories and the history behind Sherlock's money and family... John on the other hand, is so in love... but he still needs time to adjust his mind to the whirlwind Sherlock is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, have a new job that's killing me... I'll try an update once a week.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Enjoy!

They arrived to Budapest around eight. John, the always well prepared traveller, had booked a hotel room in the early hours of the morning, and they were waiting for them when they arrived. He had asked to have room service ready for them; he was planning to sleep, at least for a few hours before touring the city. Sherlock, instead of pouting, just ate what John had ordered and collapsed on bed as soon as he was finished with dinner and his night ablutions. John was surprised with the fact and just watched his husband getting undressed and getting in bed. Probably John had a lot to do with it, because they had shagged each other senseless almost every night, barely sleeping, eating a lot and walking more than he had walked in his entire life.

Sherlock loved walking around town; simply because he loved learning and knowing new things, it gave him the sense of control he needed in his life, the cold facts, the detachment, the security of knowing to where he was going, and also the chance to impress John with his memory. On the other hand; John loved getting lost, giving him the exact amount of chaos and angst, and also the chance to get clingy and needy and then admiring his husband’s mind. Walking the streets was more foreplay than anything else for both of them.

They walked hand in hand, fingers entwined, to every place they had planned to visit. They went on a grand city tour, mostly for John’s enjoyment, while Sherlock made him giggle and laugh with his deductions about the visitors. An Italian man with his “secretary” on a “business” trip, a couple that was married because he needed the residency and “honeymoon” photos were required, a soon to be divorced couple that was taking a last trip together, but there was nothing left to do, and so on; John would listen and scold him, but he would giggle and the scolding will go down the drain.

After the four hours tour, Sherlock decided they should go back to the Zoo and John accepted gladly. Sherlock’s eyes will shine and “glitter” whenever they went to the butterfly pavilions and the botanical gardens. He’ll explain everything to John, every plant, every little insect, pollination patterns, and what not, and John would listen, obviously interested, even if Sherlock would explain to him the same rose over and over again; and whenever they’ll find a blue orchid, John would shiver and feel emotional, and he would hug Sherlock for a long moment, right in front of the flower, and then will kiss him deeply, and Sherlock would just let him, and kiss him back.

That afternoon they went back to the Central Market Hall and bought a typical Hungarian blouse for Molly. They had a lot of gifts for their friends, but Greg proved to be really difficult to gift. Maybe a Bavarian beer glass, they could go after visiting Austria; or maybe they’ll find something somewhere else. That night, Sherlock invited John to a proper date, in a small boat on the river; the private boat took them to a night sightseeing tour of the city; they dinned and danced to live violin and piano music; Sherlock helping John with his dancing and John letting Sherlock guide him and dip him. When the tour was over, they went back to their hotel. A letter had arrived for them and Sherlock beamed as soon as he saw it. It was a message from Mycroft, letting them know that their flat in Vienna was ready for them and for as long as they wanted.

“How many properties do your family have?” John was certainly curious, because they had stayed at the hotel suite in Paris for free and at a suite in Berlin.

“I think we’ll have to go back to France for me to explain the why” Sherlock said avoiding John’s inquisitorial gaze.

“Are you for real? Back to France? Explain” John was befuddled, to say the least

“Yes…” Sherlock trailed off “My family is related to a French artist, maybe you’ve heard of Horace Vernet?”

“Not really into French artists” John narrowed his eyes

“Fine” Sherlock sighed “I think we need to get that bottle of scotch and sit down for a while” He said and pulled John to the lift that would take them to their room.

As soon as they were “safely” in their room, Sherlock sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. John did so and Sherlock served him a full tumbler of the scotch John had bought at Czestochowa. He poured the same amount for himself and drank a large swig; this conversation was going to be a bit… difficult, though he was one of many heirs

“My family is very old, I’ve already told you that” Sherlock began

“Yes, and?” John wasn’t drinking

“Well, apparently, my great, great grandfather, Sherrinford Holmes, was a country squire”

“Okay…so?”

“Well, he was kind of… famous… and he was, somehow, part of the Victorian court. I can’t say that’s true because I haven’t found enough evidence, but as you read on the papers Mycroft gave you, I’m an earl or something, I rejected knighthood “for services provided to the crown”, though Mycroft forced me to accept a Légion d’Honneur, meaning I have a medal and I’m a commander of some sorts because I did something nice for the French Government, but that was totally unnecessary” Sherlock waved it off and rolled his eyes

“You were offered a knighthood?” John asked, perplexed

“Yeah, though it was not the first time, this time was right after I rid England of Moriarty, just as soon as I was back from my… hiatus… and at the same time they awarded me with the National Order of the Legion of Honour for helping the French with catching a murderer that had them chasing their own tails”

“That’s certainly… something…” John took a large swig of his drink

“Nothing really, anyone can be made a knight…” Sherlock said nonchalantly

“Right…” John rolled his eyes

“But I’m digressing…” Sherlock took a sip “My great, great grandfather, Sherrinford, got married to Vernet’s sister; Violet Vernet. After that, my great grandfather, Mycroft, married another French lady, Helena, and my grandfather, Siger, followed the tradition and married Mamie, Isabelle. The first one to break the tradition is my father; he married a proper English lady and being the first child, he received a large amount of lands and money and he is in charge of the family business, and my mother, being a proper genius is famous because of her skills. They make a great couple and they have given us everything we needed. That’s why I barely know them” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “Well, my great, great grandfather had a home in France, near Pau, and Mamie lives there; we can go if you want to meet her” Sherlock looked at John, expectant

“I’d love to meet your… mamie? Isabelle?” John snickered “But why didn’t we go there while we were in France?”

“Grand mummy if you prefer” Sherlock sighed “and we couldn’t go because she wasn’t in France at the time; she’s been traveling for the winter”

“I’d love to meet her. Why didn’t you mention her before?”

“Two reasons. Reason one, because I don’t really like to talk much about my family or my family’s properties; Mamie lives in Pau, and my father as a way to come and visit his mother whenever, “bought” a suite at the hotel we stayed, and the suite in Berlin belongs to Mycroft, he travels to Berlin often, and he never liked staying at hotels, although he did enjoy our stays at the hotel in Paris, I think it has to do with the fact that the whole floor is ours and he has his own suite” Sherlock looked to the void as if lost in his own thoughts “Reason two, because of her. She carries her name”

“I know love, but there is nothing you can do about it, it’s your grandmother’s name after all” John was smiling, he wanted to meet Sherlock’s grandmother “What’s the story with the house in Vienna?”

“Mycroft bought that one for us... I enjoyed a school term abroad… No, that’s a lie… When I was very young, I was sent to a boarding school, like Mycroft and Sherrinford. I was six when I was sent to boarding school. I used to see Mycroft almost every night, except when he had exams. We shared the same school for three years, and then he left for Oxford. The year he left, I was nine, and I wanted to visit him in Oxford and left the school one night; I actually missed him. It was snowing, and I was in my pyjamas and a dressing gown. I went to the train station, walking under the snow, and a lady found me and called my parents; they came immediately and took me with them; I had pneumonia and I almost died. The doctor said it would be a great idea to leave London and go to the mountains, that’s why we went to live in a house in Vienna for over six months, and I loved that house, it had a little garden where I could see bees and butterflies, and it was close to Mozart’s house before it became a permanent exhibition. A couple years before we met, I went to Pau to visit Mamie, and I wanted to visit the museum before going back to London, I was still on recovery and Mycroft let me go. I went to the house and it was for sale and I asked Mycroft to buy it for me; he had it repaired and it was rented until last year; now it's empty and Mycroft prepared it for us”

“Wow! I can’t believe we have a house in Vienna” John was astounded

“We have a house in Sussex too, and another one in Pau, and a flat in New York. Why are you so surprised?” Sherlock said nonchalantly

“We what? When did we get a house in Sussex? Pau? New York? When?”

“Remember the proxy documents?” Sherlock sighed loudly and rolled his eyes “There were deeds there, remember?” John nodded “One was of Baker and the others to the Sussex house, the Pau house, close to Mamie, a flat near Central Park and the house in Vienna”  

John just sighed, he knew he had to check all those documents, but he was otherwise preoccupied. “I would like to know all about your family” He startled Sherlock who seemed lost in his mind palace

“I don’t really like talking about them, but I can tell you what you want, just not tonight. Would that be alright?”

“Of course it’s alright, I think we have to celebrate that we have a house in Vienna, and in Sussex and Pau, and New York… was it?”

“Yes love, sorry”

“What are you sorry for?”

“For not telling you before”

“Actually you did, but I just didn’t bother reading the documents you handed me… I was otherwise… preoccupied”

“So… for once it’s not entirely my fault?” Sherlock couldn’t believe it, he was so used to do “a bit not good” things, but this time it wasn’t his fault

“No dear, it’s not your fault” John shook his head and took a deep breath, but he couldn’t keep the smile out his face

“So… You…”

“No Sherlock, don’t go there”

“Yes dear” and his signature eye roll

“Yes dear? Did you just “yes dear” me?” John smiled wickedly

“What if I did so?” Sherlock husked

“I guess a pounding is in order” John approached Sherlock and slapped his arse softly

“Oh, Captain Watson, you sure know how to discipline me, don’t you?” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear

“Oh, private, you have no idea” John licked his lips

“Bed?”

“Shower first, and then I’ll decide”

“Are you sure you’re punishing me? It sounds more like you’re spoiling me” Sherlock flirted making his way to the bathroom

“Don’t be so sure. Now private, to the showers! That’s an order!” John followed him to the bathroom.

The next two days they enjoyed Budapest as much as possible. They went on different tours, visited the country, Sherlock had the chance to ride a horse and John was just happy to see him enjoy that much. He knew that Sherlock had shared a big part of his life with him, so it was time to use the Vienna stance as an excuse to talk about their families.


	26. Our little home in Vienna, January 26th - January 27th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock and John arrive to Vienna, a gift, a house, and lots and lots of honeymoon s...tuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, been out of town
> 
> Thank you for reading, love the comments!

Their drive to Vienna took more than two hours; they left in the early morning after a rather nice rest. They’ve come to an agreement; sleep before a trip, and Sherlock, as always eager to please John, accepted, though he slept just a few hours. Being an early bird himself, John would make sure that Sherlock did sleep, at least for four hours every night, though, most times, exhaustion made him sleep even more than the four hours he forced on Sherlock, and by eleven he’ll be out of the world, at least two nights a week.

When they arrived to their house, John was amazed to see that it wasn’t at all what he had imagined. It was a three story house with a classical look to it; though it seemed very well maintained. Sherlock opened the door and the first thing John noticed was how modern the house looked contrasting with the outside. There was a living room to the left side of the door a dining room on the right side. A set of stairs to the right, making the dining room smaller than the living room; there were two small doors and an archway that lead to the kitchen.

“Do you like it so far?” Sherlock asked, he was fidgety and excited

“It’s really nice, and I really like the furniture” John said looking at the rather minimalistic living room. A grey leather sofa was against a light greyish- light bluish wall, two modern side tables made of dark wood on each side of it. Two armchairs, one blue and one light grey rested comfortably next to the fireplace, and a coffee table made with the same dark wood was placed in front of the sofa, close between the armchairs. The only hints of colour, red, purple and yellow, could be seen on a large painting that adorned the sofa wall and the throw pillows. A plush rug covered the dark wooden floor, and it gave the space a quite comfortable look; much like the painting, the otherwise grey rug had small red and purple swirls that made it look quite modern and elegant. The open space made the living room airy and the window to the side let the light in. A large lamp hung from the ceiling and two standing lamps made the apparently dark room very luminous. Classic Sherlock with loads of John

“There are two rooms on the second floor and one on the third, three and a half bathrooms, the kitchen and the dining area. Oh! and the garden is over here” Sherlock motioned to the archway “Ah, the guest restroom is here” He pushed one door next to the stairs and a little, but comfortable restroom appeared in front of John’s eyes; it was white with hints of blue and grey, nothing to strident or too out of the ordinary. The other door was a broom cupboard.

The dining room was as simple, yet as elegant as the living room, the walls were the same colour as the living room, and again, the hints of colour where provided by very expensive looking pieces of art. The dining table was made of glass, and it rested on the same wood as the tables in the living room. The chairs looked comfortable, made of greyish - bluish leather. The same lamp as in the living room adorned the ceiling and another window made the room look bright.

They moved to the kitchen an there John was left even more speechless than he already was. The kitchen was made with the latest appliances, and it barely looked like a kitchen, it was made with touch latch cabinets, the fridge well blended with cupboards and cabinets. It was white, but not crisp white, the floor was tiled, in a classical black and white pattern. A sink and a stove rested on an island in the middle of the kitchen, with four stools, two on each side of the island. The kitchen was very luminous, a big glass wall made it look even bigger than it actually was. The walls moved open to let the air from the garden in.

The garden was small, but looked well-tended. There was a very small green house, filled with flowers and bees. Just one colony; and to John’s surprise, a single blue orchid adorned the otherwise rose filled green house. He could see himself vacationing in this house, coming every summer, or even every winter and staying here with his wonderful husband.

“Want to check the rooms upstairs?” Sherlock asked, taking John out of his daze. John simply nodded and followed Sherlock; he was feeling more and more home that he had felt in the past three months. Sherlock took their bags and climbed the stairs directly to the third floor and left John to explore the seemingly small house. On the second floor he was greeted by a hall that had two windows on each side and two doors. One was a guest room, the decoration was very feminine ‘Violet helped, I’m certain’ John thought. The room was painted with a very soft lavender colour and the decoration, all whites and lilacs made it look very delicate and sober. A door lead to an en-suite, and a big window over the bed lighted up the entire room.

The door in front of the room lead to a home office, a desk and two chairs, bookcases, very Sherlock, though very John too. The wood furniture gave a serious look, but the walls were painted with a soft eggshell white and the window let the light in beautifully. He looked at the bookcases and he found a copy of each book he had back at home, and a few new additions; leave it to Sherlock to please him with such little details. There was a fireplace in the office, and two arm chairs, similar to the ones back home, a small sofa and a couple of side tables with lamps that gave more light to the room. The restroom wasn’t as big as the en-suite next door, but it was comfortable and very well lit.

He could hear Sherlock rummaging upstairs, so up he went, he was rendered speechless for the fourth time in less than an hour when he was greeted by a large glass and wood door, wide open, leading to a large terrace. A table and a couple of chairs were located in a quite romantic pergola, overlooking the garden, another glass door led directly onto a large suite room. ‘Our room’ John thought.

He went inside and it looked very similar to the hotel suite they stayed in Poznan, except for the colours used, blue, grey, crème, red, purple; their colours, a love seat rested against a wall, and John noticed that there wasn’t a telly; he looked for a while until he found it built in to the opposite wall. A small bar was under it and a very small fridge sat there, built in too. A coffee table in the middle of the room gave it another look.

“Where the hell is the bed?” He sighed and looked around for a door but he couldn’t find one “Sherlock said that there was a bedroom up here, so there must be one somewhere” He huffed. He went out the balcony again and looked for a door down the corridor but couldn’t find one.

“Sherlock?” John called to the seemingly empty room

“In here” Sherlock’s voice came from somewhere

“Where in here?” John was annoyed

“See the door between the sofa and the telly?” Sherlock chuckled

“There is no door between the sofa and the telly, Sherlock” John was angry now and his voice was strained

“Again, John; you see but you do not observe” Sherlock snickered and a door, that wasn’t there but was there, opened up and revealed Sherlock waiting for him with a bottle of champagne and stark naked.

“Bloody hell Sherlock!” John was amused

“The door slides John, come here and I’ll show you” Sherlock laughed and with his free hand pulled John inside the bedroom. It was very spacious and neat. The room was fully carpeted, a large glass wall gave them a nice view of a part of the city; a large bed rested on one wall; and opposite the window a door that lead to the en-suite, it had a shower and a large bathtub. Another door led to a walking closet and he could see some clothes there, most of them what he had recently bought since he started dating Sherlock. Unlike the rest of the house, this room looked very much as if John had decorated it. The walls were off white, and the bed had a duvet with his favourite colour, the same as Sherlock, obviously, blue, the sheets were white and had loads of pillows. A small fireplace was close to the bed and he could feel the room was warm in spite of the large glass wall. The curtains let the light in and he wondered how they would sleep.

Sherlock, as usual, read him like a book and while he waited for John to explore the entire room, reached for a remote and a set of blinds covered the glass wall. John gasped at the sound and looked at Sherlock with admiration

“You think of everything, don’t you?” John asked while getting undressed in a hurry

“I made this thinking of you, I wanted you to feel at home and feel comfortable. Besides…” Sherlock couldn’t finish his sentence because John was kissing him fiercely.

“Are we going to christen every piece of furniture and horizontal surface in this house or are we going to keep on chatting” John husked and kissed Sherlock deeper

“I like the way you think… Captain Watson” Sherlock licked John’s ear. John pushed him to the bed and shagged his detective relentlessly. When they finally made their way to the kitchen, it was more out of necessity than will; they needed to rehydrate and eat something; soon they agreed that honey wasn’t just to enjoy in one’s tea or scones. Two days later they left their home, Vienna was waiting for them.


	27. Vienna, January 28th to February 2nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John tries to trick Sherlock, and Sherlock just lets him... Enjoy a protective Sherlock

The house, John would discover later, was a late engagement gift, sort of an anniversary gift, not only to celebrate their meeting, but their engagement an their relationship. John was more than grateful, and he showed Sherlock how much he appreciated the gift, several times in many, many available ways.

But since Vienna was just outside their door, the intelligent thing was to visit the city, and obviously, their first stop was the House of Mozart. They visited the house and Sherlock was mesmerized, again, with the environment

“You can almost feel the music” He said, lost in one of the music sheets that are on display “I wish I could play my violin here” he sighed. He turned to look for John but he was missing; Sherlock felt desperate and looked all over the place for John, only to find him after half an hour in the shop.

“I bought you these” John said showing Sherlock some opera libretti “Oh! And I got this for me” he said showing a t-shirt with Mozart’s silhouette on it.

“You have to be joking, John” Sherlock rolled his eyes

“Nope, in fact I’m wearing this now” he said pulling the shirt over his jumper.

They left the Museum and went to the next stop, Beethoven’s house. This turned out to be more a composer’s houses tour than a Vienna tour; Sherlock was delighted, he loved music and having the opportunity to show John what he was so passionate about made him even happier to walk around Vienna with John’s hand in his. John on the other hand, couldn’t be happier, but he had to call his in-laws to gift something Sherlock that he wanted. He had got John a house, so Sherlock deserved to have a wonderful anniversary gift. He had booked Bösendorfer Hall for a small concert, so his Detective could fulfil his dream and play in Mozart’s House, now he had to call his friends and family to watch him play

John texted Mycroft and he said that he’ll help with taking everyone to Vienna and that his mother had asked to stay with them at the house. John had to agree, better not to aggravate the in-laws… much. He also rented one of the multipurpose rooms to share a dinner with their family and friends, to celebrate not only Sherlock’s birthday but their anniversary. Leave it to John to do romantic things to compete with Sherlock’s unspoken sweetness. The people at the house were more than happy to help John, as he had promised them that he’ll pay whatever was needed for them to help him in such short notice; they even helped him get the entire buffet service and even a hostess. They only needed a couple of tables, but the venue was everything John wanted for them

“Who are you texting John?” Sherlock was annoyed, he was talking to John about Beethoven’s sixth symphony, and John was writing back and forth with whomever.

“Harry” John startled. It was half true, Harry had written him and he was answering her message… thankfully, though she was being absolutely annoying and demanding his full attention, as always, practically begging him to go back to England that second and take care of her “Sorry; I’ll put it away” he said putting his mobile back in his trousers’ pocket.

“How is she?” Sherlock looked at him suspiciously, scanning John with grey, distrusting eyes

“Drunk…” John looked down and sighed “Not now, please” John practically begged “You were saying something about the sixth symphony?” John looked at his husband; he needed him to be distracted again

Sherlock nodded and continued explaining “Right, I was saying that he composed it in 1808” Sherlock began talking again; he had listed the previous five symphonies, and why he hated or liked them, the same way he had done at Chopin’s house, and exactly what he had done at Mozart’s. John nodded occasionally, going ahead of him to keep texting Mycroft the details of the concert the following night.

**You guys can stay in the office if you want. We have a very comfortable sofa bed**

I appreciate the offer John, but I think that with Mummy and Dad at your place is more than enough; besides my parents don’t know all about Gregory yet

**Are you sure? What about Molly and Mrs. Hudson? We can keep your folks in the dark if you want**

I talked to them and they are delighted. Already booked hotel suites close to your place; we’ll be staying there too. Besides I want to tell them in my own time. Thanks anyway

**Great! Thank you Mycroft, I really appreciate your help. Don’t worry about it, I’ll keep him quiet**

Don’t worry about it John. By the way, I have a case for you, but it can wait. It’s in Liechtenstein; if you want it. Nothing really dangerous, more of an international affair than anything

**We can talk about it after dinner. After party at our place**

Sure John, thank you. Talk to you soon

**Sure, sorry for texting but he’s here and I told him that my sister is texting me.**

No problem John, see you soon

“And the tenth symphony is incomplete, some say he wrote only nine, though being as prolific as he was I’m certain that he indeed tried to write ten” Sherlock finished his explanation and John just nodded. He tried to keep up with him, but he wasn’t as keen of classical music as Sherlock was.

“So, no one knows if he indeed wrote this tenth symphony” John tried, but Sherlock knew he was distracted

“I’m not going to pry John, but if you are so worried about Harry you should call her” Sherlock said, for once believing every word that John had said

“Nope; she’s already drunk and it’s barely noon” It wasn’t a lie

“Then by all means you should call her and see how she is” Sherlock insisted and John had to call his sister and find out that she was at a bar, drinking her head off after a fight she had with her most recent girlfriend. John just heard her rant for a while before begging her to go home and try to sleep for a while, and promising that he’ll be calling her later.  Sherlock took the phone and John was thankful for his cleverness; he had deleted all the texts he had sent Mycroft, even from the deleted folder.

When Sherlock returned he looked irritated, and he just held John for a long while before grabbing his hand and kissing it. “What do you want to do?” Sherlock asked looking concerned “Do you want to visit the rest of the museums or do you want to go home? We can go eat something, have a dinner date, whatever you want”

“We can go to the museums love” John was confused, the look in Sherlock’s eyes was making him feel worried, had something happened with Harry?

“Are you sure?” Sherlock asked again

“Yes. What’s going on Sherlock?” John was suspicious “What happened to Harry?”

“I had a row with her and she said some awful things about you. It hurt me hearing her say such awful things. I felt the need to protect you… She can’t say such things…” Sherlock looked like he was about to cry, he shuddered and embraced John close, kissing his forehead and holding him in his arms, almost cradling him

“Sherlock, you’re scaring me, what did she say?” John pried

“I can’t… I can’t repeat what she said” Sherlock was now kissing him with tenderness and John knew that what Harry said must have been hurtful, Sherlock never reacted that way, to anything, except when the words were directed against John; maybe Harry said something about their parents…

“It was about mum, wasn’t it?” Sherlock nodded “Fine” John sighed “So, Haydn’s house next?” He tried to act nonchalant, but he knew that he’ll have to tell Sherlock about his parents tonight.

“As you wish, love” Sherlock said and held John close while they walked to Haydn’s house. Unlike Beethoven’s Haydn’s House was more organised and looked lovelier. The gardens where the perfect place for them to sit for a while and talk about Harry’s outburst; but not before Sherlock explained to John all about Haydn and his compositions, and how he learn to play them when he was very young; and after, when he went to University where he had the chance to play them at plays and concerts

“I was in the theatre company at Uni; I played Hamlet once, and I took a music class besides my chemistry classes. I’m actually a major in chemistry and I have a couple of minors in theatre and music” Sherlock said while looking at one of the displays, as if he was talking to himself. “It’s rather easy to play” Sherlock continued “I wish I had my violin now; but I can play it later for you; would you like that?” He looked at John before kissing him

“You can play me whatever, you know that love” John kissed him back “Let’s go to the garden, come please” John took Sherlock’s hand and led him to the garden. Sherlock followed him and he knew that they were going to talk about his conversation with Harry, their important conversations where either maintained at a garden or the privacy of their rooms.

“Can we wait until we get home, please John?” The memory was too fresh and he just wanted to enjoy the rest of the afternoon

“Yes. We’ll leave it for tonight. Are you hungry? I’m starving; let’s go find us a nice place to eat” John pulled him close and enjoyed the garden for a couple more minutes before leaving the museum to look for a restaurant. They found one a couple blocks away and John was still concerned about Sherlock, he barely touched his food and his mood was quite dark. He could barely keep his hands and eyes off of John, and John could only wander what Harry said, but he was sure that it was all about their parents

After they ate they visited Schubert’s House, or Schubert Sterbewohnung. As the others, it was beautiful and John could see Sherlock relax more and more as he talked about Schubert’s compositions, and how he loved playing them too, though he was more famous for his _lieder_ and his piano sonatas. John was content, but his mind was in whatever Harry had said. They decided to call it the day after Schubert’s first house, they’ll be visiting the other houses next day, and maybe go to the music museum and some other places before leaving Vienna.

They went back home, and Sherlock decided that it will be nice to go out for dinner. They found a restaurant across the street and shared a quiet meal, too quiet for John. Sherlock was lost in thought again, and John could see the sadness in his eyes. He hated that Harry made him feel this way, but before killing his stupid sister, he’ll need to know what had happened and what she had said exactly, though he was certain it was the same stupid thing she said whenever John called her. He had no idea why Harry acted that way.


	28. Another broken siblinghood or death by words. January 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A huge angtsy moment, and Harry's reappearence. A big fight between siblings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me, please! But Harry will never change and John knows it...
> 
> Thank you for reading. BTW Love the comments!

They entered the house and Sherlock made his way to the kitchen to make some tea for them.

“Wait upstairs, and if you don’t mind running the bath” Sherlock asked John. John went to their bedroom and prepared the bathtub; he was in the middle of it when his phone chimed. It was a text from Harry asking him to call her, that she needed to talk to him ASAP, and John, being John, called his sister… huge mistake

“YOUR HUSBAND IS AN ARSE!” Harry shouted

“Hi Harry, feeling better?” John could hear bar noises

“DID YOU HEAR ME?” Harry shouted again

“Yes Harry, I heard you, there is no need for you to shout” John sighed

“Well, he’s an arse, who does he think he is to tell me what to tell you? I’m your older sister, I’m family, he’s just your husband; HE’S NOBODY!” Harry shouted again

“HE’S EVERYTHING HARRY!” This time John was the one yelling at the phone “WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?” John demanded

“I told him that he’s no one, that you’ll get tired of him soon enough to move to the next legs you’ll find, that you’ve always been that way, that if you left him once, you’ll leave him again, and that he’s no one to keep you close. I just told him the truth, that you’re a runner, that as soon as things get complicated you’ll run away, the way you did after you killed mum”

“HARRIET, YOU DID WHAT?” John couldn’t breathe, he was so angry! His sister had acted as the arse she always was

“Sherlock should know that he shouldn’t be surprised if you leave him, because that’s what you do, you leave people, you left your wife when things got difficult, not once, but twice; you left Sherlock when things got difficult, and you’ll do it again; the same way you left dad to die after mum died” John let the phone slide from his hand, his knees faltered and he was feeling weak. Poor Sherlock, all his fears brought back by a sad alcoholic. He sat on the bed and put his head on his hands; Harry kept on yelling something at the phone, probably more insults, John wasn’t listening anymore. It was one thing for her to tell him whatever when she was drunk, but messing with Sherlock was another thing. John didn’t notice that Sherlock was standing right outside the door and was looking at John with sad desperate eyes.

“ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME YOU ARSE? Harry shouted. Sherlock went in the room and ended the call, turning off John’s mobile; it was less than a minute later when his started chiming; Harry was calling him. He rejected the call and turned his phone off too.

“Are you okay John?” He sat next to his husband and placed a comforting hand on his back

“Yes, don’t worry; she’s always like that when she’s drunk… Are you okay?” John had regained some of his composure and he was more concerned about Sherlock than the crazy rampant of his sister.

“In all honesty?” Sherlock looked at John with those grey eyes of his

“Yes, nothing but” John looked at him

“I want to kill her. I don’t care what she says to me, but if she so much talks and makes you look hurt…” Sherlock sighed

“Well, I feel the same way…” John grimaced

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, don’t worry love”

“I’ll always worry about you John, you can’t ask me not to worry; it’s part of the job description, worry about your spouse” Sherlock chuckled

“Then we both are doing a great job at that” John smiled; Sherlock had a way to lift his sorrows in the blink of an eye, always comforting and loving; two of the many qualities he had the privilege to witness.

“I brought you some tea” Sherlock handed him a cuppa

“Thank you love” John sipped it, it was perfect, as always

“So… about what Harry said…” Sherlock tried but the words proved to be more difficult to say than to think “I… I…” ‘I don’t want you to leave, but if you have to leave then make it the less painful possible, or at least let me die before you leave’ Sherlock thought

“I’ll never leave you Sherlock. I always find a way back to you; I tried to leave, believe me, but I always come back. Besides, what Harry said, well…whenever she gets that drunk she always says the same… to anyone that comes her way” John was so used to his sister’s idiocy that it hardly made a difference.

“Why did she say you killed your mother?” Sherlock needed to know why Harry will say something like that, something terrible must have happened for her to say such a thing, no matter how drunk she is

“After she left, mum and dad used to fight a lot; dad had a tendency to pin the elbow too, but he was able to manage it, somehow; but after Harry, it became worse; he was never as violent with me as he was with her, or sometimes mum, but he did “damaged” me psychologically ‘being a fag is disgusting, you have to be a man, you cannot ever become the disgusting way your sister is’ and other things were always directed my way and all I could do was nod and accept what my father said as law” John was telling the story as if he was talking about somebody else’s life, almost as detached as Sherlock usually was whenever he talked about his own.

“I had just turned fourteen when my mum fell gravely ill; she lasted less than a month; Harry was late to visit her at the hospital, because she was drinking; I tried, by every means possible, to get in contact with her, but she moved quickly from one place to the other, never holding a place for enough time to be able and send her letters, or call her. The day we took mum to the hospital, dad called her and she had just moved; we left her a message and I had to go and look for her, but no one would give me any information about her, her landlord was happy that she was gone…” John sighed and rubbed his face, but he felt detached, as if he was talking about some unknown character that at some point he had met

“She called us home the day mum died; we arrived from the hospital, feeling defeated, sad, and I had to call her and tell her that mum just died, that the funeral was going to be the next day, the time, the venue, everything; that was the first time she accused me of killing mum, she said that she had died of disappointment because she was stuck with a child she never wanted, and that she had lost her one and only child. At first it hurt, but I was already used to be verbally abused by her for the past fourteen years of my life. Suffice to say, she never appeared at the funeral, and dad was grateful about it” Sherlock pulled John down and rested John’s head on his lap; he caressed his greying hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead

“A couple months after mum died, we left to live in Australia; that is until dad got sick. We returned to England after my seventeenth  birthday, and as soon as we returned, I applied to Bart’s Medical, and I also applied to the military to become a combat doctor, I received my acceptance papers just a few days before my eighteenth birthday and for once, dad was as proud of me as he had ever been; he said I had made the right decision, that going to the military was a job for real men, and other stuff that at some point made me gag, but I was used to the speech too, so I barely listened. I finished school and left home happy, I missed my mum too much to bare being in a house without her and with the shadow of my father, because that was all that was left of him after mum died” John shuddered after saying that, remembering quite well how he was after Sherlock’s “death”, almost the spitting image of Henry Watson…

“I was called to Sandhurst and I called dad to let him know that I was going to leave for a while, that maybe I might not be able to visit or call as often, because I had to go to Sandhurst, and he said that he’ll be waiting for me when I came back; but that never happened. After I came back from Sandhurst I went to visit dad, but I found the house closed… Harry didn’t even bother to call and tell me that dad had passed away a week before I returned from camp… And then is when all the crazy bitching from her became unbearable. She would call me and tell that I had killed them that I was worthless, that I was dead to her and other things, and that I had left dad to die alone like a dog. I felt guilty enough already and when my orders came I was almost too happy to leave, three years without my sister bitching about and saying whatever came out of her stomach, then I got injured and ever since, Harry and I had been trying, but she makes it impossible” John closed his eyes, feeling Sherlock close, and nuzzled his stomach; he had a chance to have a new family now, Sherlock was family, and if things had gone any other way, he could even consider him like a brother, not just his best friend

“I’m sorry love” Sherlock muttered, confusing John’s actions with a form of sadness

“There is nothing to be sorry about love. I’ve made peace with it; not because it happened a long time ago, but because there is no use in torturing myself with it over and over again; I did the best I could, particularly after mum died, but there is only so much I could do. Yes, I ran away, but just once, and yes I left Mary, twice, but because she cheated, is hard to find out that your spouse has cheated on you, not once, but twice, that she had lied her way to you so many times, that it becomes unbearable to see the same face every day” John closed his eyes and breathed heavily, remembering what had happened after she was born, and how he had found out all about Mary cheating, and lying and… other stuff.

Sherlock on the other hand felt nervous, he had lied, manipulated, cheated, in many ways, and John had always forgiven him, the worst being when he had faked his own death to save him, though they had talked about it and John had understood it completely, or so he said. Now he had told him everything, even his deepest and darkest memories; though he sometimes had to deceive and manipulate, he had promised never to do that to John ever again, and he hoped that John could see how much he was trying. As if reading his mind John cupped his cheek “I know you try, I’ve seen it, and I know that when you lie to me is for my own good, though I rather hear the cruel truth any time, so please love, don’t worry”

“Are you sure? I can be very deceitful, manipulative; I lie and get with my way…” John kissed him and muffled the rest of the words

“Oi, you’re talking about my husband there, so watch your mouth!” He smiled “I know how you are, and I married you anyway” John joked and kissed him again, muffling a protest. “Now, I believe we have a bath waiting for us” he got off bed and pulled Sherlock to the bathroom.

Sherlock sat in the closed toilet and looked at John while he finished preparing their bath. Sherlock breathed deeply and decided to tell him the worst secret he held “John, there is one thing I need to tell you that may change everything”


	29. The truth about Irene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irene is alive... Big surprise, mostly for John. The only woman he ever feared, the only woman that made him jealous is alive. What would happen to them if she ever reapears?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, my thesis has me crazy and I've been delaying my writting in order to finish the last step to get my master's degree.
> 
> Thank you all for reading. LYA!

“What do you mean?” John asked turning around to look at Sherlock

“There is one thing I have never told you, mostly because I’m afraid of how you might react”

“What can be so terrible that you’re so afraid?” John looked at his husband, he was nervous, wriggling his hands and tapping his feet on the floor, and he was… scared… “Sherlock?”

“I really hope you can forgive me John… It’s the ultimate sin…” Sherlock rubbed his face

“Don’t tell me… Irene Adler is alive” John joked but then fell silent after looking Sherlock’s face “She’s alive? ANSWER ME!”

“You’re angry. Disappointed, again… But I’m done being a coward…" Sherlock slumped back "Yes, Irene is alive, I saved her life; she saved mine. We’ve helped each other several times, mostly when I was in the United States, she took me to a hospital after I was captured and tortured. She found me in the basement I told you about”

John was silent, he needed time to think. His worst nightmare was alive, and now he had to be grateful to her because she had saved Sherlock’s life. He left the bathroom and ran downstairs, he really needed to think. He locked himself in the study and paced for a while. ‘Okay, Sherlock saved her life, when?’ He wasn’t sure, maybe he knew she was alive when John tricked him into thinking she was under witness protection. ‘And then she saved him when he was in the States, dying. Has he seen her again? How many times? Had something happened between them?’

Just a few moments ago John had promised Sherlock that he was going to listen to him, that he didn’t care about his past, only his future. And now he was locked in the studio, fuming about a woman that had helped Sherlock live. Mary had killed many people, had cheated and never bothered on telling him the truth, she just expected him to read a file about her, and he chose to burn it and forgive. Why was he always comparing his relationship with Sherlock with his relationship with Mary? He needed to stop doing that; Sherlock had trusted him with everything, even his worst fear, John being angry and unable to forgive. John leaving, again

‘But why Sherlock couldn’t trust me? Because I always react in the worst way; that’s why, because I always run away, just like Harry said; just a few days before I had told Sherlock that he could tell me anything, that he could trust me, no matter what, and I’m  failing him, again. No wander Sherlock is always so afraid to tell me anything’

Sherlock sat in the bathtub, he wanted to go after John but all the strength in his body had left him, once again, he had failed John, once again he had lied to him, and had manipulated him, he wasn’t worth all the effort John was doing. He had to leave, the sooner the better, but he needed to explain John why he had saved Irene, give him all the facts and then leave, give John some time to think and wait, there was nothing left to do. He decided to pack a bag and give John the choice to ask him to leave or ask him to stay. To his surprise, John was waiting for him in their room with their bottle of scotch and two tumblers

“Explain” John handed Sherlock a full tumbler of scotch

“Karachi” Sherlock sat across from John in the chair in their bedroom “She escaped to Karachi and I found her. I decided to help her because, in a way, I needed to prove to her that in the end, I always win”

“No” John snorted and shook his head “the truth”

Sherlock sighed and took a sip of his drink “I… like her” He looked to the liquid in his tumbler “Not in the way you’re thinking, but I did wanted to impress her, because she is… interesting, a worthy adversary, the first one to beat me both physically and mentally, though she cheated because she drugged me first, and she solved the crime scene hours after I did” John rolled his eyes “In a way, I did wanted to defeat her, and prove to her that I always win” Sherlock sipped his scotch again “That night in Karachi I saved her from execution and she admitted defeat. It wasn’t exactly the kind of victory I was looking for, but it provided me with an ally that not even my brother could keep a track on. She proved to be very useful to me while I was in the States, mostly because she is able to hide and use disguises almost as easily as I do. She is some kind of me, but in a female version, though her heart can’t be trusted; after all, she fell in love with me and lost the game…” Sherlock finished his glass, remembering Irene gave him a certain thrill, not the same way as John did, but there was something about her that Sherlock… enjoyed

“Did you and her…” John looked at his glass before finishing it

“No, we didn’t” Sherlock sat next to John in the bed and reached for his hand but John moved away, sitting on the chair. Sherlock just looked away and continued talking “She offered, but I didn’t want to, she knew I was in love with you and that you were in love with me; though neither of us wanted to admit it or acknowledge it. When she found me in New York she said that she would help me to get back to you, that we belonged together. When she found out you were getting married she tried to help me get over you, but she was unsuccessful., though she did help me understand that there were many ways I could show you how much I loved you. We talked a lot, mostly about respecting your life choices, she said to me that the biggest proof of love I could have towards you was letting you do what made you happy”

“Do you still talk to her?” John stood and approached the bed but didn’t sit next to Sherlock, the Detective noticed the movement but he didn’t turn.  

“No, the last time we talked was a week after we got together. She said that she would call me again, but I asked her not to do so; that I didn’t want to upset you anymore and she understood. She said I should do everything to make you happy, and that I should remember that you deserved everything and more” Sherlock had opened his heart again, and had achieved nothing; his husband was angry, even after he had promised to listen, to accept him, to forgive him… But he was mistaken again, he trusted again and his trust was shattered again, by the person he loved the most.

“I know I’ve said it too many times, but I’m sorry I overreacted. I’ve been trying to act differently, but sometimes it’s really hard, she’s the only woman I’ve ever been jealous of, not even Janine makes me feel as insecure as Irene. You lost yourself in her, almost as much as you did in Moriarty’s game, with your need to impress her. I thought I had lost you” John reached for Sherlock and the Detective leaned into John’s stomach, no matter how much he hurt, he always felt happy and relaxed whenever John touched him.   

“I promised I’ll be honest with you, and I’ve been honest with you all along. Just once I wish you could keep your word with me and act as you promised, patiently and understandingly. I know it's a lot to ask, but the only result you’ll get from running away every time I decide to be honest with you is me not wanting to tell you anything, ever again” Sherlock was calm and he spoke softly, he needed to keep calm, this “domestic” could mean the end of his marriage “I know we both have trust issues, I know I’ve hurt you, but this trip is never going to work if we can’t keep our word. I’m trying, some things are harder to tell than others, but I try, and you just get angry, you leave, you yell, you punch; you compare me to Mary…” He breathed, he knew exactly when John was thinking about her and comparing the relationship he had with her with their relationship “I wish that just for once you would think of me as me…” Sherlock could feel the tears forming in his eyes, but he kept his voice steady and soft “I know I’ve hurt you, many times, and I’m sorry. Yes, I can’t be trusted, and I’m sorry. I’ve given you the chance to leave, time and time again, and you’ve chosen to stay. I’m not going to beg you to stay, nor ask you to go, and I’m not making you choose. If you decide to stay, perfect, if you decide to go, perfect; but know this, if you stay, it means you accept me the way I am, and that you’re willing to love me and respect me, and that you’re never going to compare me with anyone else. I know I have to gain your trust again, and I’ve been working towards it, but there is only so much I can do, I cannot force you to believe in me, that is entirely up to you” Sherlock closed his eyes and breathed, slowly, controlling his nerves. John had to decide whether he wanted to stay or not, and Sherlock was giving him an easy way out            

“I’m not leaving. I just needed a time to process what you said" John sighed and kissed Sherlock's head "I love you Sherlock, and you’re stuck with me" He tousled Sherlock's curls "I’m trying hard, and I need time to process some things. I’m sorry I left you, and didn’t listen as I promised I would, but sometimes it’s hard to listen that you were alone and I wasn’t there to protect you, to help you. I trust you Sherlock, and I’ll gain your trust again. I love you, and I’m sorry for making you feel like I’m comparing you with anyone else. I’m not going to make any promises to you, I have to keep the ones I made first before embarking on new ones” He held his Detective close and could feel him relax in his arms “Would you take me back?” He kissed his cheek

“Always, my love” Sherlock let out a breath he didn’t knew he was holding

“Now, I think we were preparing a bath. Is it too late for that?” John hoped his Detective will forgive him, again

“It’s never too late for a bath, shall we?” Sherlock smiled at his Doctor and led him to the bathroom to prepare the bath again.

“We’ll be seeing her in the States?” John asked after a long moment of silence and tranquillity

“Only if you want to” Sherlock kissed John’s ear

“Maybe when the time comes; there are many things I want to know, and maybe she can answer them. Thank you for telling me about her, and for not being mad at me after I lied to you about her” John leaned his head in Sherlock’s shoulder and kissed his cheek

“You did it to protect me John, and for that I’m grateful. You’ve proved that sometimes lies are necessary to protect the ones you love from what you think might hurt them” Sherlock killed the bull with that final hit, he had proved to John that he had lied to protect him too, in the most subtle of ways, having him admitting that he too had lied to protect him.

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened in the roof?” John blushed and tried to change the subject, Sherlock just let it slide

“Yes, but not today. I think we should leave this bathtub now and get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow” Sherlock pushed John softly from his chest and helped him out the tub before leading him to their bed.


	30. First (seventh?) Anniversary January 29th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock is never bored with John. He loves JOhn, even when John worries that he is bored. A very happy anniversary to both

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some setlock photos have implied that maybe Mycroft could die (please don't T-T). But since I'm creating my own AU; I don't really care who Mark Gattis, Steven Moffat or Sue Vertue decide to kill.
> 
> By the way. I've already written 60 chapters but I add things as I go. Please be patient. I'll try to finish the fic before the year is over and Sherlock is back (ruining my sad little life with reality...) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and as always, Love the comments!

A year ago, to the date, Sherlock proposed to John and John said yes. They’d been “dating” for almost a year, but if you want to be precise you’ll have to say that they’d been dating for eleven months, seventeen days, two hours, twelve minutes and three seconds when Sherlock proposed, and eleven months, seventeen days, two hours, twelve minutes and twelve seconds when John said yes. The circumstances, as previously discussed, where planned, to the minute, by the World’s only Consulting Detective, and it had been thanks to Harry, even though right now they’re not on speaking terms.

A year later, their “anniversary” has found them not in the city of love, nor in their honeymoon (sex holiday… whatever!) but in a city that means a lot to Sherlock and his childhood, a Christmas with his parents and his brother, and a spring filled with music, flowers, experiments, and bees. They are in the heart of Vienna, watching the winter fade away and sharing tea and biscuits at an ancient looking tea house, listening to a waltz in the middle of the morning and simply enjoying each other’s company.

Sherlock should be bored, his ever expanding mind needs fuel, as much fuel as possible, The Work is what keeps him on his feet, and solving crimes, visiting crime scenes, interviewing criminals to get alibis, jumping from buildings, running down every street chasing said criminals, or running an experiment at Bart’s to confirm or destroy said alibis; keep him in his mind, meaning that he won’t be shooting a wall, or performing weird experiments at John’s expense, meaning having him drugged, missing a day, ending up at the A&E or trying to rescue his last jumper, calling the fire squad, the bomb squad, or even the police, because the mad bastard blew out the flat; or John having to sew, for the umpteenth time, his mad flatmate’s skin, or bandaging him, cleaning after yet another failed experiment. Sherlock should be bored, but then again, Sherlock is happy, he feels utterly happy, and fully sated, his life has come to a sense of completion that not even The Work has provided him with, who could have thought that a retired army doctor could be all Sherlock needed to be exhilarated about life 

John should be worried about boredom building up in that gorgeous mind of his; worried for the lack of cases, the lack of consultations, though, people knowing that he was traveling, after a security leak in Poland, not about their marriage but about their trip, had landed them several fours that Sherlock solved in a matter of hours, he should be worried mostly, for the lack of sevens, eights, nines and tens; he should be worried about their new house in Vienna, their kitchen, that has gradually become a chemistry lab, or their home office, that has become the right example of the mess that Sherlock has in at least one of his rooms in his mind palace, he should be worried about that specimen that arrived from London the same exact day they did; and is resting, thankfully, in a crisper away from their vegetables; but John isn’t worried, nothing worries him right now, he can see the smile of  a fully sated and happy Sherlock, a calmed and relaxed Sherlock, a Sherlock that has what he wants and is content, nay, exhilarated, with his life; not even the impending concert at Mozarthaus, the one he has managed to keep as a surprise for the last twenty four hours, has him worried

They even had a couple of fours, that could have easily turned into sevens or even eights if Sherlock hadn’t acted so quickly, and though he sulked before going to the tea room about the lack of enthusiasms of the criminal class of Vienna, he seemed content with what was going on right now. He was watching the world’s best show, meaning John’s face watching the dancers take the floor and perform what John considered the perfect waltz, his face was, in itself, a great spectacle, changing in seconds from utter happiness to great amazement, to admiration, and from time to time, a bit of sadness and even envy. Yes, Sherlock is happy; he has the world sitting right next to him in that ancient looking tea house, though he is happy as long as John is happy, and he knows that John feels the same way, which in return, makes him utterly happy.

Sherlock wants John to be happy, that’s why he stood and extended his hand to his husband. John looked confused, embarrassed, flustered, and shook his head like a broken doll for what seemed a life time, until Sherlock kneeled in front of him, holding his head, and kissed him deeply

“Do you trust me?” Sherlock asked with a whisper to John’s ear. John nodded and looked at his husband, trying to overcome his embarrassment “We won’t do it if you don’t want to, but it’s clear to me that you  want to do it, so I’m offering to dance with you” Sherlock whispered again. John nodded again and held his hand, letting Sherlock lead and enjoying himself for the time being. Sherlock, the excellent dancer, lead him through the waltz, making him look almost like an expert, even though all he did was let Sherlock sweep him off his feet and transport him to wherever he decided to turn. Sherlock made him swirl and turn, and with a flourish, he dipped him, and ended the dance with a deep kiss, gaining them the applause of the crowd.

A very embarrassed John and a smug Sherlock left the teahouse and went to visit the places they had planned to visit that afternoon; a couple museums, the house of music, another tea room; they had a quiet lunch near a park, and John couldn’t help but think about an excuse to take Sherlock to the concert venue.

Mycroft had been at their place in the morning, he had taken the violin to the venue, and their parents were to arrive in the first hours of the evening, along with Greg and Molly. The only idea that came to mind; thanks to Mycroft, was to take him to a concert, a gala concert at the Museum; an envelope was waiting for them at the house and it stated that it was a gift from the Holmes to celebrate their anniversary; but as soon as they entered the house, Sherlock knew something was off.

“Mycroft has been here” He stated out of nowhere (yeah right, probably some dirt near the door, that can be found only in England or a painting recently moved, or probably something about the tap in the kitchen sink)

“Mycroft? And why would he come here” John tried to lie

“I guess you should tell me, John” Sherlock narrowed his eyes and began scanning his husband

“Maybe to leave these?” John tried again, showing him the invitations. Sherlock looked at John, with those deep icy grey eyes that scanned every criminal bare to the bone and his mouth made a little “oh” and he went directly to the kitchen without another word. After a few minutes of death silence, John walked to the kitchen and found his madman sitting on the greenhouse, contemplating the bees. “You okay love?” He kneeled before him

“Of course John, why wouldn’t I be?” Sherlock was almost lost in his mind palace ‘I’ve missed something, but what? I’m sure this has to do with the fight he had with Harry, but how could Mycroft know? Besides, John wasn’t texting with him’ He looked at John and bared him with his eyes, but not in the sexy, lusty way he usually does, but with the detective eyes that leaves everyone naked to the bone ‘I see, John was texting with Mycroft, and Harry gave him the perfect excuse, but why?’ He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, scanning John’s face ‘Today is our anniversary, has he prepared something? Maybe he has… Should I deduce it? Maybe I shouldn’t, he’s always complaining that I read his mind and that I never let him surprise me, but I hate surprises, they usually lead to discomfort, pressure, and me having to mingle with idiots. Better pretend that I haven’t noticed, let John surprise me, he always puts so much effort, and I don’t want another Christmas fiasco, that led to him never buying anything for me again, not that I need anything but it’s nice to be gifted with something. A surprise must be then… Let’s play the game’ “I’m just looking after the bees; remember I left an experiment this morning?” Sherlock half lied and placed the colour plates he had been playing with

“And did it work?” John asked innocently, wrongly believing that he had deceived his husband

“Nope, I forgot to set all the plates” Sherlock showed him the coloured disks again and went to check the bees and the hive.

“Oh well… you’ll just have to start all over” John chuckled and Sherlock grinned at him “By the way these invitations say that it’s a gala, so we should dress up. I guess I’ll have to go and buy something for tonight” John said scratching the back of his head, remembering that he hadn’t thought about what he might have to wear in all the fuss he made yesterday while planning the whole thing

“Leave it to Mycroft; I’m sure he has provided us with the right outfit. If I were one to bet, I’ll bet that we’ll find something suitable hanging in our wardrobe right now” he said with an air of sufficiency that John hatted and adored at the same time. John shrugged; he could only hope that Sherlock didn’t in fact guessed what was going to happen tonight, though all signs indicated that he was onto something.

“Want to take a bath before leaving?” He knew a bath would sound appealing, it was cold still and baths usually relaxed his Detective

“That’s a capital idea; shall we?” He left the garden and moved swiftly to the stairs climbing two steps at the time. By the time John arrived to their room, Sherlock had closed the blinds and the room felt cosy and warm.

After a long and relaxing bath; John urged Sherlock to dress and leave their home

“What about dinner John?” Sherlock was suspicious, usually before leaving to any event, John would have Sherlock eat, but this time he had let him go with lunch and tea

“We’ll eat after. I’m sure we’ll find something open, now come, we’re going to be late!” John closed the door behind them and pushed the detective in the museum’s direction.

As soon as they arrived, and usher lead them to the assigned room. Sherlock’s violin was waiting for them, and Mycroft was sitting at the piano; the Holmes, Mrs. Hudson, Greg and Molly sat on the first row, and a chair with John’s name was waiting for him next to his in-laws. A lot of unknown people were there too; apparently, the Museum -‘please let it be the museum and not Mycroft’ John begged mentally- had made it an open event, and a lot of kids from the Conservatory and other schools were sitting in the following rows. Before Sherlock could ask what the hell was going on, another usher took him to the scenario and gave him his violin. He looked at John, with those eyes that melted John, in a very, very bad way, and looked at him with the -you’re so going to pay for this- look. He glimpsed at the programme in the stand and sighed

“The Mozarthaus in Vienna welcomes you to a night of music. Tonight we’ll be presenting to you Mozart’s Violin Sonata No 18 in G major, K 301 and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 in A major, K 219, featuring a special guest of the House, Mr. Sherlock Holmes at the violin, and Mr. Mycroft Holmes at the piano, accompanied by the Conservatory Camerata”

He did say he wanted to play in the House, and John had given him the opportunity to do so. But he had no idea that he would have to play in front of so many people, and he was sure that John would’ve prepared something less… public. Who was he kidding? He loved being the centre of the universe, he indeed is a drama queen, and being centre stage, well, he couldn’t ask for anything better, seriously. Oh well; he’ll have to put on his -yeah I’m a freaking genius- mask (like there is one!) and play his heart out, mostly for John; he couldn’t care less about anyone else; besides, John had chosen one of his favourites, and he could always convince Mycroft to play the first minutes of Mozart’s 21st' second movement. Also, it will be the first time in ages since he played with Mycroft, being the last time that Christmas so many years ago here in Vienna, in the house…

They played the Sonata and then Mycroft went to sit next to John with the rest of the family. Sherlock closed his eyes and followed the music, he knew it by heart already, and he played it with all his heart, thinking about John. Once he was finished, he looked at Mycroft and his big brother understood; after all, they had a Camerata. They played the eight heavenly minutes of Mozart’s 21st’ second movement and finished it leaving the public astonished; neither one of them needed the sheet, they knew the composition by heart; the Camerata and the director, on the other hand, had to do an immense effort to follow them.

John was mesmerized, he had seen Sherlock play many times, many sonatas, and compositions, but he had never seen him with other musicians, he of course, was the greatest he had ever seen, and listening to the music with the right acoustic, made it sound even better. And when he played with Mycroft, both nodding at each other and nothing more, both leading the other musicians, directing the others and one another, was something else, they sure knew each other and they played like well ingrained pieces of a clock.

After the concerto; they went to the dinning venue, and Sherlock was glad to see that the dinner was prepared only for them, meaning their family and friends. He greeted everybody, being polite, just what John liked. He chatted with Mrs. Hudson; he smiled to Greg and Molly, they agreed to have lunch the next day, actually John agreed, and they were more than happy to share an afternoon with them at their home. Mummy and Dad invited themselves, giving Sherlock less and less chances to have the expected row with John, though he didn’t have plans to pull his eyes out and make his death look like and accident, at least not yet… that is until Mummy and Dad agreed that they’ll be staying at their place long after they were gone and John had smiled happily and asked them to make the house comfortable for them. The only one who seemed to be oblivious to all that was happening at the table was Mycroft; he had shared dinner and then excused himself with a phone call, only to return a few minutes later apologising about him having to leave the “happy” group.


	31. Sherlock’s way to interrogate John, or how to have your husband spilling his guts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Married life was turning his brain into pudding, and sex had turned him into someone… normal… he wasn’t slower at crime scenes, actually he was becoming faster; John always knew how to… stimulate… him, making him solve crimes faster, everything became clear after one single look to John; but his brain was mushy when he had to read John, his reactions, his ways to do things; John managed to surprise him every day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some sexy times... I loved writting it!
> 
> Enjoy, and as always, love the comments!

As soon as they arrived home, Sherlock excused himself and went to their bedroom, leaving John with his parents. Sherlock was too excited, and he was almost lost in his mind palace, he looked mad, but it was quite the contrary, he was too happy and he needed to process the feeling. Everyone seemed to think that he was mad at John for what he had done; and that he was mad at his parents for “intruding” in his life and inviting themselves to his home; but he wasn’t mad at John for booking a concert, or for having him play in said concert, and he wasn’t mad because his family had decided to stay, although he was mad because he had no idea that John had prepared such a wonderful gift.

Married life was turning his brain into pudding, and sex had turned him into someone… normal… he wasn’t slower at crime scenes, actually he was becoming faster; John always knew how to… stimulate… him, making him solve crimes faster, everything became clear after one single look to John; but his brain was mushy when he had to read John, his reactions, his ways to do things; John managed to surprise him every day with something new, something bold, something sexy, being new pants, a new jumper, maybe even a new flavoured lube; and now this, a concert to celebrate their most important anniversary; the day they met.

John followed him shortly after; he was willing to accept the scolding that he knew was coming; though Sherlock seemed to have enjoyed himself, the drama queen… John climbed the stairs like he was going to meet his executioner; just a few more steps and he’ll be in the gallows, waiting to be beheaded by the king of the house. He found Sherlock siting on the sofa in their room; he had a glass with scotch in one hand, the bottle on the table and another glass waiting.

“Happy anniversary John” He said without looking “Coming?” He pated his lap; John approached him and before sitting, he served himself some scotch and sat on his lap

“Happy anniversary Sherlock” They clinked their tumblers. Sherlock held him close and John put his arms around his madman. This wasn’t the reaction he was expecting, at all! They shared a drink before Sherlock removed the glass from John’s hand.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to thank you for your gift” Sherlock said kissing John’s neck

“I though you didn’t like it” John tilted his head and gave him more skin

“Me? Not liking the opportunity to show off? Have we met? Sherlock Holmes, Remember?” He laughed and resumed his kissing, hitting the right spot to make John squirm and moan

“You… Oh God Sherlock…” John tried and he had to gather all his wits to keep talking “You looked at me as if you wanted to murder me” He managed to say before moving closer, his hand palming Sherlock’s length over his expensive trousers

“Oh John” Sherlock used his deepest baritone “I am going to murder you, just not in the way you imagine I would” He smirked against John’s skin and moved to another strategic spot behind John’s ear. John moaned again, that voice made him shudder and the kiss that followed had turned him into putty; Sherlock could do to him whatever he wanted. John moved his hand to open Sherlock’s trousers but he was stopped by strong, long hands. John whined, he wanted to feel Sherlock, but he was grabbing his hands with such force that he was unable to move them

“Sher…” John tried, but Sherlock kissed him with one of those breath-taking kisses that would send him to oblivion. It lasted a few seconds, and before he could say or do anything else, Sherlock was tying his hands with his bow tie.

“Doctor Watson” Sherlock began “You’ve been charged with excessive love for your spouse by unknowingly promoting his artistic career, and knowingly busting his already enormous ego by the means of a secret concert that has been recently performed at the Mozarthaus. How does the defendant plea?” Sherlock opened John’s flies

“Not guilty your honour” John husked, he was willing to have this kind of foreplay

“Not guilty? Then we must proceed to trial” Sherlock moved his mouth away from John’s neck “All the evidence indicates that you abandoned your spouse to plan said concert, right after he stated the he would love to play at the aforementioned venue” Sherlock drew circles over John’s clothed length

“I didn’t abandon him, I went to the shop” John played along, he had plead innocence after all, he’ll have to pretend a little longer

“You’re lying to the court Doctor Watson. Your spouse has already given statement that he looked for you everywhere, and that you only appeared at the store half an hour later” Sherlock continued with his deep voice while rubbing John’s length over his pants

“I was at the store all the time” John whispered, feeling Sherlock’s free hand travel down his arse

“Have you any witnesses?” He moved his hand up and down John’s hardened cock

“No your honour” John put his tied hands around Sherlock’s neck

“So, you can’t prove that you were indeed at the store for half an hour, as you claim” Sherlock moved his hand under John’s pants and kept it there

“No your honour” Sherlock rubbed once

“Did you, or did you not ask your brother-in-law for help?” He asked while licking John’s earlobe

“No your honour; I don’t know how he found out, maybe the museum people called him” John lied openly and Sherlock removed his hands and his mouth and John whimpered

“Even though there is no evidence of the text messages you sent to your brother-in-law, considered to this case as accomplice number one, the World’s only Consulting Detective assigned to the case, the brilliant Mister Sherlock Holmes, has assured the jury that he has first-hand knowledge of your behaviour while sending said texts. Your activities didn’t go unnoticed to the keen eye of the aforementioned detective, and he’s considered a reliable witness. So I’m forced to repeat the question. Did you, or did you not ask your brother-in-law for help?” Sherlock squeezed John’s arse making him squirm

“Yes your honour” Sherlock kissed the spot under his ear again and opened John’s shirt

“Did you, or did you not invite your family and friends to said concert?” Sherlock opened John’s trousers’ button and pulled John’s cock out of his pants

“Yes your honour” John whimpered “My brother-in-law helped me” He moaned at the touch

 “Did you, or did you not plan, in less than forty-eight hours, the concert?” Sherlock ghosted the question over John’s naked chest while pumping his cock slowly

“Yes, yes your honour” John whispered bucking his hips up

“Once all the evidence has been analysed, and our specialists have confirmed that you indeed, not only asked your bother-in-law for help, but invited your family and friends to said concert, and kept the event a secret from your spouse; the jury finds you guilty of all charges and we have decided that you must be penalized with whatever punishment your spouse chooses, I’m sure he’ll know exactly what to do” Sherlock was moving his hand faster and John was lost in the touch

“You’re not going to determine my sanction?” John was ready to come; a few more pumps and he’ll be spilling all over his new tails

“Your spouse has determined that you should be sanctioned with one of the hardest sentences I have ever heard of. I’m sad to say that you’ve been sentenced to a long night of sex with your spouse, in the position of his choice, and you’ve been ordered to come as many times as possible. Do you understand your sentence?” Sherlock stilled his hand and moved John to have him sitting fully on his lap, with his legs around his waist

“Yes your honour. I’m ready for my punishment your honour” John yelped as he tried to keep close to Sherlock, he carried him to their bedroom and undressed him swiftly. Before John could say anything, Sherlock tied his hands to the head of the bed and put some lube on his own cock. Sherlock turned him, and before John could get on his knees, Sherlock penetrated him with one quick motion. John cried out with pleasure and Sherlock moved his hand to his mouth

“I don’t mind my parents hearing us, I never cared; but I rather not having them coming up to see if I’m killing you or not” Sherlock breathed in his neck and moved faster; they had enough foreplay. He hit John’s prostate repeatedly, going faster and harder; Sherlock held John’s cock with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, thrusting hard and fast. “Fuck it!” Sherlock said and pulled out, John whimpered; he had no idea what was going on. He was about to ask when Sherlock turned him “I want to see you come” Sherlock said and untied John’s hands “And I want you to touch me all over” Sherlock dipped his head and kissed John deeply before penetrating him again.

Sherlock moved slower this time, building the passion again. John could feel his orgasm pooling at the bottom of his stomach, they were sweaty and panting. Sherlock covered John’s mouth with his and moved faster, holding John’s hands over his head and thrusting harder. John arched his back and moaned against Sherlock’s mouth, one leg wrapped around Sherlock’s waist and the other near his shoulder. He came hard with Sherlock’s name escaping his mouth, his muscles clenching and getting what he wanted; Sherlock’s hot come inside of him; Sherlock thrusted a couple times, coming fully, before collapsing, breathless, on top of John.

Once he could breathe again, and his brain was in the on position once more, John held Sherlock close with his arms and his legs, not letting him move. He kissed the top of Sherlock’s head and pulled him up to kiss his lips, after Sherlock’s breathing relaxed John dared to speak “May I choose my punishment now?” He asked; lust in his every word. Sherlock nodded and kissed him softly. John turned them, never parting and began to move on top of Sherlock, riding him until he could feel his arousal growing again.

This round they took their time, John moaned softly and low, not wanting to disturb the other house inhabitants; he held Sherlock’s hand, one over his hip, the other one over his hardened cock and pumped rhythmically with his hips; this time Sherlock was the loud one, and John kissed him to stop the loud moans and groans that escaped his mouth. They came at the same time, John trying to catch his breath while Sherlock was talking nonsense. The third time caught them in the shower, while they were cleaning each other, and the fourth came with dawn, before sleep claimed them. Needless to say breakfast wasn’t an option and all they could do during lunch with their friends and family; was try and stop smiling; but for John was worse; he had to try and not wince whenever he sat.


	32. To Liechtenstein or bust. February 3rd - February 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re dying” Sherlock said, standing still, keeping his voice calm and a relaxed demeanour, though his mind was going a million miles per second ‘Please not again! Not again! Not again! Please not again! John needs me! Not again!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter has been read and corrected, and I'm writting another one right now. Already in Kiev with the guys!!!
> 
> Not betead so any mistake is mine, and mine alone. Thank you for reading and please, do comment. I love when you comment. Enjoy!

They spent the next few days with Sherlock’s parents, and decided to visit Salzburg before going to Liechtenstein. Greg, Mycroft and Molly left a couple days before them, not before Greg had handed Sherlock some fours and fives, and had promised to wear a stupid head-cam to take him to eights, nines and tens. They talked about Anderson and Donovan for a while; Anderson was trying to find out to where he had gone, following his career on international papers and publishing absurd stories about him leaving London to rest; that had helped, somehow, with the press that was also wandering where the Detective and his Blogger had disappeared.

Donovan, on the other hand, was the only yarder that had concluded that they got married and that this trip had something to do with Sherlock’s “death”; she had promised Greg not to say a word, mostly because she now had the chance to make herself noticed by the local press because of her skills, not as good as Sherlock’s, and not close enough, but enough to solve twos and threes. Sherlock also received a nine from Dimmock and had promised to help as much as possible before he left Vienna, and within the next four days, he had solved the kidnappings that tormented the young DI.

The moment they arrived to Salzburg, Mycroft’s bird handed Sherlock an envelope; it contained information about the case Mycroft wanted Sherlock to help him with. They read the file and studied it for the next few days. It wasn’t something as complicated as the case in Germany, but it had, indeed, international importance, because these people were auctioning works of art lost during the Second World War.

A “lost” Picasso had appeared out of nowhere and Mycroft needed Sherlock to prove that it was a fake; an auction house offered the painting and a very famous private collector, a British private collector had every intention to buy the painting. Being friends with the “minor job” in the British Government, the man was persuaded to auction for said painting, in order to set a trap to the auction house that was offering all kinds of missing masterpieces and selling them for outrageous prices. This time Sherlock was familiar with the painting, since the original was sitting in their house in Vienna.

They were supposed to attend the auction and present a huge bid for the “Picasso”; Sherlock would prove that it was a fake with a photograph of the real one hanging in their living room, and then he would proceed to unmask and bring down the business. They’ll have body guards this time to prevent unnecessary “accidents” like the one in Berlin; Jacques and Gustav will accompany them and protect them. Sherlock, being Sherlock, had studied the files and he had narrowed the culprit list to four people. Two representatives of the auction house, the chairman and the auctioneer; the guy from the insurance company and the curator that determined the authenticity of the paintings, meaning he was the one forging the masterpieces.

Sherlock needed to prepare everything, they were expected in Liechtenstein three days from now; Mycroft had prepared a fake crime and a press conference to “give away” his brother’s location, leaking information of his whereabouts in Salzburg and his impending trip to Liechtenstein. Fear makes the criminal classes act like idiots, and fear of being discovered by THE Sherlock Holmes made them even more vulnerable. In order to prevent being captured by Holmes and his partner, the auction house had “acquired” an original painting, meaning that it was stolen from a museum basement, thinking it would go unnoticed. The robbery was never reported, though the local government was already on the chase and Sherlock was going to help them.

Besides preparing for the case, and preparing the staged crime scene; Sherlock took John to Mozart’s Birthplace and his residence. Since they were still in the celebratory week of Mozart’s birth, Sherlock took John to a couple of concerts and a Mozart tour that he had created, sharing with John all his knowledge about the composer, the same way he had done a few days earlier in Vienna.

They went to the Salzburg Cathedral, and John had to buy yet another memory card for his camera; he was excited about his pictures, but he was more excited about getting pictures of Sherlock running around like a child, explaining him about art, music, and even rock formations and soil. Sherlock was in his element, exploring, getting to know places, deducing, reading music, pointing at things, and holding John’s hand, dragging him everywhere, the way he always did. They made the most they could with their two days in Salzburg. The day before leaving to Liechtenstein; John took Sherlock to the Botanical Garden, knowing that being surrounded by nature will help his Detective clear his mind and be prepared for the press conference they had to attend before lunch.

Sherlock had “solved” the crime, a quadruple murder that “had” the police worried about the safety of the citizens. The murderer was captured two days after the murders, and his actions were the result of jealousy, he had killed his wife and three of his co-workers, accusing his wife of infidelity and his co-workers of conspirators. The four victims, all women were found in a warehouse in the outskirts of Salzburg and Sherlock had found the killer using a single foot print. The pictures of the victims were from missing women in other countries, and the suspect’s name was a criminal that was arrested a few weeks before in London.

The press conference went as planned, and Sherlock answered every question except his relationship status with John and Mary’s whereabouts. As far as the public was concerned, John was accompanying Sherlock as his colleague and nothing more; as a matter of fact, he “left” Salzburg that afternoon, after solving the crime, and “arrived” to Liechtenstein a few days later to help his friend in need. When Sherlock was questioned about his impending trip to Liechtenstein, he simply said that he was going to Vaduz to rest and that he appreciated his privacy and wanted to keep it that way. He “left” in a private jet provided by the Austrian government, the same one that took John back to England. Thank God for winter and gloves, because no one could see their matching rings…

Once in Vaduz, after calling a favour from some very important person, they stayed at a private house, not at a hotel. They visited the town for a couple of hours, not being able to hold hands or snog as much as they liked proved to be difficult, and Sherlock decided to go back to the house. They were followed by the press and they decided it was best to stay in and plan the next day.  The auction was to be held at two in the afternoon, and Sherlock had to get ready to go to the auction, he had to convince a lot of people that Jacques was an expert so he spent part of the morning teaching him some art terminology and techniques.

They left to the auction house, and John was there, obviously, with Jacques and Gustav protecting his husband, again. Since the first item for auction was the stolen one, Sherlock had some time to prepare a strategy. Jacques had provided him with photographs of the paintings, and Sherlock had detected the same brush strokes in each, but he needed to see one close. Unfortunately, not even as a privileged buyer he could see the paintings beforehand, but he was lucky to be able to send his “expert curator” to determine the authenticity of the pieces.

Jacques portrayed a perfect curator; he took a small cam and provided Sherlock with the live feed he needed, and in fact, most of the pieces were painted by the same person; firm brush strokes, expert technique, right-handed, not a copyist, even though he could match some strokes from the original painting, but his hand was heavier, and the excessive use of paint thinner and resins made him use more paint than needed. Sherlock also detected the use of modern products, noting the lack of lumps produced by egg-white and yolk once they were mixed with certain types of charcoals, soils and ochres. Out of twenty pieces for auction only two were original, one that was being offered by a family from England -Mycroft’s doing of course- and the stolen one.

With evidence in hand, Sherlock called Mycroft and told him everything he had found, and the end game was to purchase the entire lot for the private collection of one Mycroft Holmes, with the assistance of his brother. When the next item auction began, Sherlock stood and offered a large amount of money for the entire lot, except two paintings. The auctioneer almost faints when he heard how much money the youngest Holmes brother was willing to pay and closed the auction; apologising to the other attendants and asking for them to leave the auction room. Sherlock was then taken, along with his “curator”, his “bodyguard” and Doctor Watson, to the basement where they kept the paintings.

Once there, Sherlock entered the vault and was about to confront the auctioneer and the director about the fake paintings when the curator, the guy that had painted all the pieces was pointing a gun at him, threatening to kill him if he said anything.

“I just want the money for the paintings” The curator spoke, threatening him with his gun     

“And why should I give you money for a bad copy?” Sherlock sneered, distracting him until his team could make it inside the vault and begging to outwit the desperate man

“Can’t you deduce it Mr. Holmes?” The man pointed the gun to his head “You’re supposed to be clever, aren’t you? DEDUCE!” He shouted

“You’re dying” Sherlock said, standing still, keeping his voice calm and a relaxed demeanour, though his mind was going a million miles per second ‘Please not again! Not again! Not again! Please not again! John needs me! Not again!’

“And how did you come to the conclusion?” The man started pacing, aiming at Sherlock all the time

“Dark circles under your eyes, your veins are collapsed, you have trouble breathing and you whiz every second or third breathe, you also have petechial haemorrhages in your eyes and around your wrists and neck produced by the lack of oxygen and a twitch in your muscles, caused by your condition; you also are jaundice” Sherlock was getting nervous, the guy was dying and he might not want to be going alone

“So, you’re a medical encyclopaedia, are you?” The man teased and pointed his gun again to Sherlock’s head

“Occupational lung disease; and you’ve developed stomach cancer. You work with minerals, arsenic poisoning. The cancer has spread to your digestive system too, liver, pancreas, intestines, colon. You must be in so much pain” Sherlock looked at him, feeling sympathy towards a person for the first time in his life, all because of John  

“I DON’T WANT YOUR PITY!” The man shouted, completely entranced with Sherlock, not noticing John coming behind him slowly and quietly “I WANT THE MONEY! I CAN’T LEAVE MY WIFE ALONE! He kept on shouting, pointing his gun at Sherlock’s head “And you Mr. Holmes, you’re writing the check, here” He said and reached for his breast pocket, John took advantage of the brief distraction and grabbed the man, he was weak and he couldn’t fight John no matter how much he wanted too. He tried to aim his gun to John and a shot could be heard and they both laid still

“JOHN!” Sherlock shouted and ran over to his husband. He kneeled to his side and moved him, his face was covered in blood and Sherlock looked for a bullet wound desperately but found none. John opened his eyes slowly and looked up at Sherlock, moving his hand to Sherlock’s and squeezing it. Sherlock breathed visibly relaxed and cleaned John’s face with his scarf

“He shot himself” John breathed too “He pointed the gun to my face and as I was trying to get the gun off his hand, he shot himself in the face” He blinked finally, his eyes free of blood “My ears are ringing, and I think we should go to a hospital” John said, snuggling closer to Sherlock, resting his head on his lap

“Yes love, whatever you need” Sherlock held him close and stroked his head. He was about to kiss him when Jacques and Gustav came to the vault, followed by the police and John scrambled away from Sherlock, they had a cover to keep to be safe from prying eyes, though he was getting tired of not being able to hold his husband’s hand or kiss him whenever he pleased because of the fucking press.

“You okay?” Jacques went over them

“Yes” John tried to stand but his ears were ringing and he felt dizzy “But I need to go to a hospital, I need some blood tests”. Sherlock helped him and held him close. Gustav and Jacques helped John out while the police questioned Sherlock about what had happened. He described everything to the police and they arrested the guilty party. Sherlock took John to the hospital and they waited for a doctor to help them.

“He was dying, he had cancer” Sherlock said looking down, while they waited for the nurse to take John’s blood sample

“Cancer?” John asked, feeling slightly relieved, at least that’s not contagious, but he’ll need some drops for his eyes, and refrain from sex and other forms of intimacy until the results were in.

“Yes, end stage cancer, lungs, liver, pancreas, you name it. He looked so…” Sherlock broke, as on cue, the nurse left with John’s sample and left them alone

“Are you okay love?” John had never seen him like that, though he had the same look when he announced that he was marrying Mary… all was lost

“No John” Sherlock shook his head “He looked… I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. I’ve always been able to deduce anyone without feeling anything, they stop being people and become data in a piece of paper to be read by me, they don’t have feelings, don’t feel pain, there is nothing about them, except facts” He wriggled his hands

“Look at me Sherlock” John moved his free hand and squeezed Sherlock’s. Sherlock looked up at John and he felt some tears running down his face

“He looked… He…” Sherlock cleared his throat and cleaned his face with the back of his hand, holding John’s with the other. “He had the same look you had when Blanicoff shot me. Desperate, scared… dying” Sherlock closed his eyes and released a shaky breath “I don’t want to see that face on you ever again…. I’m sorry John. That day I said goodbye to you because…” Sherlock couldn’t breathe, he had to sit; he was having a panic attack.

John held him close and soothed him, rubbing his back with one hand and the other cupping his cheek “Focus on me Sherlock, focus on my voice and breathe” John whispered in his ear “We are okay, we are alive. I love you Sherlock. Breathe” John repeated a couple of times until Sherlock was breathing normally “Better?” John asked, wanting desperately to kiss his husband but remaining calm and nonchalant in front of the medical staff that had entered the room

“Yes” Sherlock sighed, noting the people in the room for the first time.

“Doctor Watson?” An old man called him

“Yes” John looked up and let go of Sherlock’s hand

“A blood sample of the deceased has been delivered. Mr. Holmes’ bodyguard said that you needed it” the doctor pointed at Gustav “We are running some tests and they will take a couple of hours. If you don’t mind waiting, we have a private room for you and your… colleague… to rest while you wait” the doctor looked at them with a smile

“Thank you, yes. We’ll wait” Sherlock said and stood from the chair he was sitting on. The doctor led them to a private room and placed a “NO VISITORS” door hanger before he left the couple to rest and talk.

“Clever doctor” John smiled and snuggled close to Sherlock, resting his entire body on top of Sherlock’s in the small hospital bed

“Very clever” Sherlock agreed. He was relieved to be able to hug John at will, their days in Liechtenstein had been very difficult, and they had to be even more careful now that they were going to Switzerland, though it was easier to get lost in the streets of Zürich.

“I think we have to let people know that we have a different kind of relationship” John sighed

“Or we can let them write whatever they want” Sherlock kissed John’s head

“I want to kiss you whenever I please, I don’t want to hide anymore. You’re my husband and I should be free to kiss you and hold your hand whenever I please” John squeezed Sherlock and breathed him

“I know, me too, but at the same time it keeps you safe, love” Sherlock nuzzled John’s hair

“I hate it when you’re right, though we can get lost in London. Besides, your brother can take us out the CCTV and the radars” John kissed Sherlock chest

“Yes, that he can do. We’ll see how it goes with the news tomorrow and we’ll decide what to do after that” Sherlock stroked John’s back, playing with his waistband “In the meantime I think I better get out of this bed, because I can’t have you in bed and not have you in bed” Sherlock husked the last part

“You’re right” John moved his hand from Sherlock’s hip to his chest “But don’t move, please. Just hold me close. I need to hear your heartbeat” John nuzzled Sherlock’s chest and rested his hands there, as if preparing to sleep

“I’m not moving, and I’ll never let you go” Sherlock rested one hand on John’s back and the other clasped over John’s hands.

“Are you feeling better?” John asked, still worried about the panic attack     

“Yes, having you close makes me feel much better” Sherlock had his eyes closed and he was breathing slowly, almost falling sleep

“Why did you say goodbye to me?” John needed to know

“It was something selfish” Sherlock stroked John’s back again “When I closed my eyes I saw your face, your smile the day we got married and I felt absolutely happy. I had everything I had asked for and I felt my life complete. I got to tell you how much I loved you and I got to show you how much. I never felt happier and complete” Sherlock sighed “That’s why I said goodbye to you, because you made my life so beautiful and I had to tell you, one last time, how much I loved you” He kissed the top of John’s head “Then you called my name and made me open my eyes, and I saw how much pain I was causing you, and I tried to breathe again, I had to stay, with you, for you” He rested his head on John’s

“I’m so grateful you stayed for me” John shivered remembering that awful night ‘I would have followed you instantly’ John thought

“I need to kiss you John” Sherlock sighed and moved a hand to John’s face

“We can’t love. Not until we get the results” John leaned into Sherlock’s touch and kissed Sherlock’s hand.

“I guess we should try and rest then” Sherlock hugged John and snuggled closer

“Yes, just for a moment” John hugged him and closed his eyes

“Though…” Sherlock shifted on the bed “I guess we should close the door, just in case” John nodded and released him. John closed the blinds, just in case, and Sherlock locked the door. If anyone needed them, they should knock on the door

They returned to bed and held each other, falling asleep immediately. A couple of hours later, some heavy knocking on the door startled them, Sherlock moved away from John to open the door and the old doctor had John’s release papers and the exams results. He had to use some eye drops but he was clear; the curator’s only affliction was a stage four stomach and liver cancer, metastasised to other organs, but nothing contagious. They both sighed in relief and thanked the doctor for giving them a chance to rest privately for a moment. That night, John and Sherlock left Liechtenstein and Gustav and Jacques accompanied them.


	33. Switzerland. February 7th - February 11th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yesterday was a disaster” Sherlock began “I tried to be more careful and I put us in danger once again” he kissed John’s hand “I was supposed to confront them with the facts, not have a gun pointed to my face” He sighed “I’m sorry John..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys arrive to Zurich. And as soon as I know how to do it, I'll write the prompt about the "incident"
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please enjoy. Love the comments and love you all!!

They arrived to their hotel late that night and invited Gustav and Jacques to stay the night with them. They changed their reservations, and kept the room under Jacques’ name, while Jacques and Gustav stayed under theirs. The next morning, the press was looking for the Detective and his Doctor, but they had “left” early that morning in their car, the press followed them, looking for a black Mercedes G-Class.

When the air was clear, Sherlock took John to a car park, and John recognised their Jaguar. The always prepared Mr. Holmes had their car waiting for them. “Daniel drove it from Germany” Sherlock explained “He left this morning with Gustav and Jacques”

“Remind me to thank them as soon as we see them again” John kissed Sherlock before getting in the car “Where are we going?”

“I was thinking we should go wherever you want to go. Though I don’t know about you but I could use some nature” Sherlock suggested

“Reading my mind again?” John chuckled

“A year ago I would have said yes” Sherlock sighed dramatically “But now… Oh John… You’ve turned my brain into pudding, you and your amazing, magnificent, and may I say rather… enormous… cock” Sherlock complained before laughing loudly

“Me? I’ve done nothing of sorts” John laughed too, blushing at the comment “I must say it’s the other way around, you have me mesmerized all the time, and I should be the one talking about magnificent cocks, Mr. Walrus” John licked his lips.   

For a moment Sherlock was speechless, his whole face looking like a ruby. He cleared his throat before talking again “No?” Sherlock looked over at him, taking advantage of a red light “Let’s take a look at the evidence, shall we?” Sherlock used his best “I’m the detective here” tone and continued speaking “You tricked me into playing the violin in front of a lot of people, and I never deduced that” Sherlock began

“I didn’t trick you, I simply planned a concert” John snickered “Besides, you loved it, though you have to admit that you did deduced that I had a surprise prepared for you” John countered “So no, not convinced yet”

“Well, I did deduce you were acting strangely, but I thought it was because of Harry”

“I was upset about Harry, so no, keep going”

“Fine, I did deduce you had something planned for our anniversary, but I could have never imagined what, and you distracted me with a bath”

“Yes, I did that, I’ll admit it, but I don’t think I’ve turned your brain into pudding, you still deduce everything” John squeezed his hand

“Yes, everything but you” Sherlock took advantage of another red light and kissed John’s cheek “I used to be able to “read” you, not always correctly but I was able to, now, you just kiss me and I stop thinking, my mind just stops, and when you sex-me up, I end up turned into putty and my brain all mushed up. Marriage and sex with you are going to be the death of my detective skills” Sherlock chuckled and smiled at John, with that smile that melts ice

John blushed hard; whenever Sherlock complimented him he could feel his heart rate increase and his palms get all sweaty “You’re a great detective” He complimented Sherlock “You’ll always be a great detective, and the only reason you “can’t” deduce me is because I’ve asked you not to, and I thank you for that” John remembered the Christmas fiasco. “Besides, marriage has made you a little softer on the edges but you’re still the same blunt deducing machine that you had always been, and sex… well… I do use it sometimes to stop you from deducing me”

“I knew it!” Sherlock said triumphantly “So my brain is not all mushed up yet!” He smiled “So you do use sex against me” He narrowed his eyes and glanced over at John

“And now you are going to tell me you don’t like me fucking your brains out” John sighed but his smile was wide

“I thoroughly enjoy it. Though I don’t agree with the use of sex as a weapon of mass brain cell destruction” Sherlock laughed

“Right… And you don’t use sex to get me to tell you things…” John glanced over at Sherlock

“Me? Please John. I have better tactics and techniques to get what I want from you” Sherlock said smugly

“You do, huh?” John licked his lips and moved his hand over Sherlock’s thigh “So what you did to me the other day in Vienna, the interrogation, was that a tactic or a technique?” he opened Sherlock’s trousers

“I’m driving John” Sherlock shivered “And yes, the interrogation was a tactic, my technique was stopping every now and then to obtain the desired answer” Sherlock breathed and tried to concentrate on the road

“Fine” John sighed and removed his hand

“Tonight” Sherlock promised

“Can’t wait” John teased

 “We need to talk” Sherlock just uttered the most feared words in any language

“We do?” John was suddenly nervous, though it might had something to do with what had happened yesterday and the press invasion this morning

“Yes, and please don’t be nervous. It’s about yesterday and the press this morning” Sherlock said soothingly

“See?” John smiled again “You still can deduce me perfectly” he laughed   

“What a relief” Sherlock said dramatically, rolling his eyes

They arrived to the Zürich Zoo and walked around for a while admiring the various enclosures and the new Elephant Park. Two hours later, they were seating in one of the benches near the Zoocafé and Sherlock held John’s hand, the way he always did when he needed to have a serious conversation

“Yesterday was a disaster” Sherlock began “I tried to be more careful and I put us in danger once again” he kissed John’s hand “I was supposed to confront them with the facts, not have a gun pointed to my face” He sighed “I’m sorry John. I caused you, yet again, a serious amount of distress. I could have disarmed him, but he was so determined to hurt me that he would have seriously injured me, or even killed me” He was looking directly at John’s eyes “I need you to know that I tried to talk to him, to reason with him, and that I didn’t move because all I could think was that I needed to be safe for you”

“I know love, I know you’re sorry but you shouldn’t be. I don’t think that any of us could have ever imagined that the man was so desperate; though you probably know that I acted on an impulse after I had him on the floor. The bullet that went through his head could have easily gone through mine. I’m sorry too because I caused you a great distress” John caressed his knuckles before kissing them “Now that I think of it, if he wasn’t that sick, he might have killed us both” John’s breath hitched “We need to stop acting so recklessly” John kissed Sherlock softly on the lips

“You’re right, we do need to be more careful; I don’t want to end up in another A&E ever again” Sherlock was serious, their job was complicated and John’s safety, his safety was an issue of capital importance “We still have a few active years on us” Sherlock winked at John mischievously “But I’ve been thinking that maybe, just maybe, in a few years from now we should leave London, move to Sussex, I’ll take care of my bees and of you, and you can take care of me and the garden. And every Christmas we can go to our home in Vienna and spend our summers in Pau” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek while he talked

“Are you sure?” John leaned into the touch “I don’t want you to get bored, and most of all, I don’t want you to resent me for quitting your life in London” John looked worried, his biggest fear was Sherlock leaving him because he was bored

“I’m positive” Sherlock kissed him deeply for several seconds “And by now you should know that I’m only bored when I’m not with you” He deepened the kiss

John sighed with relief, with every passing day he could see the small changes in Sherlock, eating more, sleeping more, being sweet, caring, tender, remembering Greg’s name, being polite to Mycroft, acting respectfully with Molly, being a loving and doting son to his parents, being sweet and gentle with Mrs. Hudson, calling his family every other day, thanking Greg for cases and of course being a lovebird with John, tending to his every need, asking him for his opinion, taking care of both, being careful with his own life. And now, with this confession, John felt as if his prayers had been answered, his madman, the love of his life, his life, had confessed that he needed him to scare boredom.

“I love you Sherlock, so much” John kissed him deeply and slowly for a long time

“I love you John, you’re my life” Sherlock hugged him for a long moment before parting “I think we should go, we only have tomorrow morning to visit Zürich before leaving to Lugano” Sherlock pulled him up the chair and moved swiftly around the park. John just followed him, as always.

They ended up on a boat on Lake Zürich, and John was marvelled again with one of the many abilities his husband had to display, he could steer a boat, even though at one point he handed it to the captain and he went to deck to share his time with John. They had a late lunch at the lake, and danced for a while. John loved dancing with Sherlock, not in a tea house like in Vienna, but just the two of them. They could dance and kiss, hold each other, talk sweet nothings and be alone.

“We should go clubbing” Sherlock suggested

“No, we shouldn’t” John shook his head and hid it under Sherlock’s chin

“And why not?” Sherlock tilted John’s head up

“I don’t like clubs” John said, serious

“But we’ve gone clubbing before” Sherlock retorted

“Yes, that’s why I don’t like clubs” John rolled his eyes

“But we’ll be able to dance” Sherlock was shocked

“No love, you’ll be able to dance, I’ll be trying to follow” John shook his head again, feeling embarrassed

“But you’re dancing with me now; the only difference is that in the club we’ll be with other people”             

“No dear. I don’t want to go clubbing, precisely because we’ll be with other people and I don’t want to end up in a police station again because I bashed the heads of all the men and women that will be throwing themselves at you after seeing you dance” John looked at Sherlock in the eyes, he wasn’t kidding “If you could see how hot and sexy you look when you dance… God! I try my hardest not to jump your bones every time we dance, and I’m not about to bash several skulls just to protect you, again” He kissed him softly and swayed them slowly, enjoying the romantic music playing.

Sherlock was blushing hard, he knew he was a good dancer, but he never imagined that John could be turned on by his dancing “Would you think about it?” Sherlock tried, but knew that it was impossible, John was adamant about the issue and he wasn’t going to force him to do something he clearly didn’t want to

“Nope sweetie, no way, no how, never, no, niet, non, nononono” John shook his head several times “No” He smiled up at Sherlock “though, if you want to dance with me to club music, and grind in to me, because I’m sure that’s all you want, we can try to do that at our hotel room later” He kissed Sherlock’s nose

“Are you the mind reader” Sherlock teased and kissed him fiercely “Maybe we should head back to the hotel now and I can try to convince you to go clubbing” Sherlock licked John’s ear

“Not going to happen love” John held his ground, he had to, he didn’t want another “incident”

“Fine” Sherlock relented “I guess I’ll just give you a lap dance” He sighed dramatically, as if it was such a punishment dancing just the two of them.

“Back to the hotel then?” John kissed Sherlock’s neck

“Nope. Plenty of things to see, plenty of places to visit” Sherlock moved away from John and signalled to the captain.

“Punishing me because I don’t want to go clubbing?” John tried to hide a smile

“Me? Never!” Sherlock smirked, John knew him so well, and the battle was lost, but not the war.

They arrived to port and went to the Old Town and walked between the old houses until they found a small café, they shared a moment teasing each other, until Sherlock had to admit that even if he was stubborn, John was worse. As soon as they arrived to the hotel, Sherlock attacked John, they had been teasing each other all day and he was about to burst.

The next day they visited all the museums they could find, but Sherlock took his time at the Science Centre and John at the Photography Museum. That night they shared a nice dinner date, Sherlock still trying to convince John to go clubbing until John had to remind him of “the incident” as he called it and Sherlock had to admit his defeat. They slept in the next day, resting enough before going to Lugano.

In Lugano they visited Monte Bré by funicular before going to Monte San Salvatore and the Swissminiatur taking their time to admire the little cities before them. Their plans had changed, and their well calculated itinerary, that was ruined in Germany; was completely altered. For the time being, and in order to avoid unnecessary attention, they decided to go to Italy first and then leave their car and travel to Greece by boat and return to the continent by plane.


	34. Italy. February 12th - March 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You don’t have to tell me. I don’t need to know” John reassured
> 
> “I do John, you need to know every part of me; you need to know what I’m capable of doing, that way you can make an informed decision, whether you decide to stay or go” Sherlock played with his wedding ring, looking at it “I tortured him, viciously, even after I obtained the names I needed. I was so angry, so frustrated and tired and he was right in front of me. I still hear him yell, beg for me to stop, to let him rest… to please, kill him”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very heavy. If you can't stand reading about torture, please, skip it.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this dark side. Love the comments!

A month in Italy! Going from the cold Switzerland to the slightly hot Italy was a nice change for them. Their first stop was Milan, the Brera Museum and Leonardo Da Vinci’s Technology Museum. There were many places to visit and they were both ecstatic about all the sights and the history that the city had. But Sherlock’s dark mood was back in the blink of an eye. Even though he was excited and happy, sharing with John everything he knew, and even eating gelato, John knew better; he had that look on him, the look that only John could see, a sadness that invaded him whenever the memories flooded his mind and he wasn’t strong enough to fight them.

John took his Detective to their hotel and divested him, prepared a bath and helped him in before climbing in too and holding him. They shared their comfortable silence until the water was too cold to stay in the bathtub. John dried him and put him to bed, climbing next to him and holding him close. Sherlock slept for twelve solid hours. John moved around him, checking e-mails; checking their photographs and selecting the best ones to keep in a very special folder.

He never left his Detective, watching him closely; as soon as Sherlock stirred, John ordered a late breakfast, more of a brunch and waited patiently for his Detective to be fully awake.   

“Morning love” John kissed Sherlock’s shoulder “Breakfast just arrived, want some?” He tousled Sherlock’s curls and climbed out of bed.

“Tea and toast?” Sherlock asked with a sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed

“And eggs, bacon and fruit” John lifted the plate and then sat in front of his detective

“How long?” Sherlock asked nibbling a toast

“Twelve…” John smeared some butter on Sherlock’s toast

“Less than before…” Sherlock smiled softly

“Much less love; I’m really glad” John sighed contently “Last time was seventeen; I only hope they’ll decrease even more”

“I can only hope. You help a lot, now you can handle it”

“I’ve learn how to, the first time you really scared me”

“I’m sorry…”

“No love… Finish up with breakfast; we have a lot of things to do. I’ve been checking a lot of things about Milan that we can visit, for example Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”, and then we can go to the Botanic Garden to have our talk. Like the idea love?”

“Love it… Thank you” Sherlock nodded and hurried up with his breakfast before getting up and dressed.

John decided to get lost in the streets of Milan and pulled his detective all over the place until he reached the church he was looking for. They stayed in silent admiration for more than an hour; contemplating the masterpiece. There were so many things to observe, to absorb and both their minds were going wild with the beauty and artistry of the wall.

They didn’t even notice that other tourists were standing next to them, until the noise became too unbearable to tolerate. John knew that Sherlock spoke German and French, and he had heard him during his nightmares speaking Russian and Serbian, and now, he had the opportunity to hear his husband speak in Italian, quite fluently. He said something in various languages, he recognised three of the five and all people went silent

“What did you say to them?”

“That they should shut up and observe” Sherlock took John by the hand and left the church

“Sherlock…” John scolded

“They interrupted our silence” Sherlock pouted

“It’s fine love. We can come back some other time, maybe later” John kissed his check, it was not worth fighting for with some tourists

“To the Garden?” Sherlock pulled him and began walking

“Yes love. The page said it’s at the University of Milan” John was looking for it in the map, forgetting completely that his husband was a walking atlas, most of the time…

“This way John” Sherlock took his hand and walked all the way to the University. Half an hour later they were at the Garden sitting on one of the benches contemplating a little pond.         

“Okay love, a peaceful setting, a not so cold afternoon, and coffee; I’m all ears” John grabbed Sherlock’s hand and kissed him, giving a slight nod to Sherlock to start speaking

“Our plans have changed, and I was planning on taking you to each destination in order, but Germany changed almost everything” Sherlock looked at John, capturing his eyes with his intense gaze “You already know my first destinations, and after Poland, I went to Lithuania and Latvia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Thailand, Japan, Australia, America, all three of them and then I returned via Nepal first, and my lead got me to Italy, Greece, Egypt, Morocco, New Delhi, Croatia, the Netherlands, Bosnia, the Czech Republic and finally Belarus where Mycroft lost me. Number Four, I mean “Anthea” located me; she’s the one that called every contact I had to help them find me. We each had a code name, you know mine here in Europe, and in America I changed it to something less… posh… Whenever I needed something I called The Queen, Mycroft, or Number Four, and for the duration of the mission, I was Zero. Just another number and no one would ever identify me amongst other numbers” John nodded in understanding

“When I arrived to Italy, Mycroft’s people were waiting for me, Guido and Marco. You’ll be meeting them when we arrive to Rome. My lead in Italy got me to different parts of the country, the first stop was Rome, of course, but I ended up in Naples, Palermo and Florence. It took me quite some time to reach each destination, but at the same time, it gave me time to think, to prepare, and most of all, to rest. My stance in Nepal helped a lot; a monk helped me with my injuries and with some of the scars and the pneumonia” John clenched his fist to his side; he hated knowing Sherlock was sick and alone. “Love, please, don’t…” Sherlock held both his hands and kissed them. As usual, he let the story sink in giving John enough time to feel his pulse, to kiss him and hold him, to make sure that he was alive and well.

“The moment I arrived to Rome; Guido was waiting for me at the Roma Termini. I arrived by train from France, and there I was, once again, where it all began” Sherlock sighed, and once again he looked tired and defeated “I promised to tell you everything, so here goes. I was tired, and I wanted everything to end. Being in France presented me with a choice, not coming back” He looked at John, they had talked about it several times, but this was the first time he admitted he wanted to quit “It had been a terrible year, and I had no hope to ending with Moriarty’s network anytime soon. I had been following a man for the past year, and every time I was close to catch him I will lose him. The elusive bastard made me follow him all through Italy and I lost him after that. It was a dead end, but as I told you, it helped me heal, substantially” John frowned, he almost lost Sherlock for good, mostly because he was rightfully tired

“Why didn’t you quit, you know, having the chance?” John felt unsure, though he knew the answer already. He couldn’t believe, not yet, that someone like Sherlock would fight for him the way he did. He felt guilty and unworthy of such love.

“Because I love you, John” That was all Sherlock needed to say and John needed to hear “I had set my mind to save you and as you know, I am willing to give my life to achieve that” Sherlock kissed John slowly “Are you sure you want me to continue?”

“Yes, I need to know”

“After Guido picked me up from the train station, he led me to the Ardeatine Caves. I think is best I show you the places, but since you want to hear the stories I guess I’ll just have to show you later”

“It’s fine. Just tell me… Why are you digressing?”

“You noticed…” Sherlock looked down

“Yes Sherlock, I know you. What happened that caused you such an episode?”

“Many things happened in Italy. One of them is that I almost die” John looked at him in horror “Before you say anything, just listen. It was an accident, an oversight of my part. I was tired, I hadn’t slept in almost five days and I failed to follow a suspect; the man I was following was one of the main dealers in the Rome area, and he had connections to Sicily, Russia and of course with Moriarty’s network. The man I had been following since I left Europe had notified every member of the organization, even though I changed my name and my appearance several times, some of the highest “commanders” had enough information about me to know who I was and what I was doing. The day the dealer found me I was following him through the streets of Rome, I stopped for a second at Piazza Di Pietra, a place where I was able to conceal easily amongst the tourists and the stone columns. He spotted me, and I hadn’t noticed. I was really tired and closed my eyes for a second, he stood behind me and stabbed me in the back, fortunately; he missed my kidney. Guido was closer to me and he saw the whole scene and had Marco follow the man while he helped me. He took me to the safe house and took care of me. While I was being sutured by a private doctor, Marco had killed the man” John sighed, there was nothing he could do. He remembered the scar now, right in Sherlock’s back; just above his kidney

“The good part was that Marco killed the man close to his lair and he managed to get his phone. He called the police and they captured many of his street dealers, the bad part was that we weren’t able to obtain the name of the contact we needed. We did manage to get the information about the network in Italy, and that led me to Naples first. I followed the lead for about four days, and I got just the information I needed. Il Capo di Naples gave me a few names, I “forced” him to talk” Sherlock had to look away, besides killing many men, he had tortured a few, almost the same way he did with the cabbie after John shot him “I had learned some “techniques” that helped me obtain information from anyone, not only reading them as a piece of paper; but…” Sherlock chocked, it was hard to talk about it, not because he regretted it, but because he acted viciously; what he had done to the American that hit Mrs. Hudson was kids play compared to what he had done to the dealer. He put his hands to his face and shook his head, not to get rid of the memories, but to get rid of the feeling of satisfaction.

“It’s okay love” John soothed him “We don’t need to talk about it any longer” John stroked his cheekbones and forced him to look up

“It’s not that John” Sherlock avoided his husband’s intense gaze “You should know that I’m a monster of the worst kind” For the first time in a long time he felt the compulsory need to run away, forget everything, try to delete it all from his mind palace, but at the same time he knew that if he talked about it, it will be easier to deal with, acknowledging he had done terrible things; even if it meant that John would look at him with horror, and probably leave him.

“You’re not a monster, you did what you had to do to survive” John was holding him, close, and Sherlock feared, like every time, that this would be the last.

“I… tortured… a man” Sherlock admitted dejectedly “Remember what happened to the man that hit Mrs. Hudson?”

“Yes love, I would have done the same” John tried to smile

“This man… I enjoyed what I did to him” Sherlock’s eyes went dark and John feared that he would have one of his episodes

“You don’t have to tell me. I don’t need to know” John reassured

“I do John, you need to know every part of me; you need to know what I’m capable of doing, that way you can make an informed decision, whether you decide to stay or go” Sherlock played with his wedding ring, looking at it “I tortured him, viciously, even after I obtained the names I needed. I was so angry, so frustrated and tired and he was right in front of me. I still hear him yell, beg for me to stop, to let him rest… to please, kill him” Sherlock felt nauseous but continued anyway “I had the chance to stop; I could have stop hitting him, but it was… satisfactory. He paid for all my anger and frustration, all my pain and the times I had been tortured. I read him like a piece of paper, I even threatened his little daughter, I described to him, while I was cutting his arms with a scalpel, what would I do to his little girl, in how many ways I could cut her, vivisect her, bleed her to death in front of him, having him watch her cry for him, and I enjoyed every second of it; him squirming and begging, crying, calling for God, and I laughed in his face like many had done to me before” Sherlock closed his eyes, disgusted with himself for the first time in a long time

For once John had no idea what to do, how to react. He knew what Sherlock was capable of doing when he felt threatened, or if someone he knew was hurt, he “died” for John and killed many people for John’s sake. ‘Informed decision’ John thought ‘The only informed decision I ever made is marrying the man that has saved my life more times that I can remember, or even imagine. And as far as I can think of it, it’s the best decision I could have ever made. How many people had Mary killed? And for money? Sherlock had killed in self-defence and in defence of others. Sure, killing isn’t right in my book, but I’ve killed too, I’ve stopped the “threat” many times, I’ve “tortured” people too, in different ways, a mother holding his dead child in her arms after I shot him for carrying a gun, a wife holding her husband because I’ve blown out a house, a kid mourning his parents, because I ordered my team to fire at will. I’m a monster too’

“John?” Sherlock was afraid, his voice trembled. He got off from the bench and was about to walk away when John pulled his hand and stood too

“Did you torture anyone else?” John gazed into Sherlock’s eyes

“No…” Sherlock maintained eye contact “I wouldn’t do it, ever again, not that viciously. I was cruel, I couldn’t recognise myself… I hated myself” Sherlock was ashamed “I’ll understand if you leave me now…” He was desperate, but he had come to the conclusion that John had every right to leave 

 “I would never leave you. Get that through that thick head of yours, genius” John held him close and kissed him; he could see his Sherlock behind those darkened sad eyes, the only man he has ever loved, besides his own father. Sherlock relaxed and leaned into John, returning the hug and the kiss “You want to go somewhere else? Let’s go grab something to eat and head back to the hotel” John held him by the waist and began walking but Sherlock stopped him

“Not yet. I mean, we can go eat but I’m not done yet. I need to tell you everything” He stood there waiting for John to decide

“Let’s go get something to eat and then we can continue talking” John resumed his walking pulling his Detective close

They found a discrete restaurant and John ordered some food, making Sherlock eat everything he had ordered. Sherlock ate, gladly; his John was taking care of him. Once they were finished, John ordered two coffees and sat as comfortably as he was able then nodded to Sherlock as a signal for him to continue

“Once I “obtained” the information” Sherlock cleared his throat, “obtained” was a nice word “I called the police and left the scene; Guido was waiting for me and I gave him all the names I had obtained. The next day the news said that he was alive and I must admit I felt relieved. We left Naples that night and arrived to Palermo early morning. We drove in turns, though I wasn’t able to sleep, I had the images of the man bleeding in my eyes, and the words I had said to him kept me fired up. I took me two days to find the man I was looking for. We had an army ready to capture them. They would traffic whatever come their way, from people to drugs, and smuggle anything too, they had connections with China and Russia too, and I obtained my first lead to Greece”

“And you left to Greece after that?” John was more curious every day, but he respected his Detective’s times

“No. I went to Palermo because I had to pay my “respects” to the families; they were quite helpful. Thugs have a certain sense of loyalty when you help them defeat “traitors”. Moriarty had acted like a traitor; he had betrayed the families and destroyed them; “stealing” their contacts, their network, destroying them and introducing Chinese and Japanese Mafias in their houses. We negotiated, we let them work, they let us work, some sort of a pact that I’m willing to keep. I stayed in Palermo for a week. Between the interviews with the families and their _consiglieri_ I got the help that I needed and I managed to get a couple of watch dogs that protected me while I was in Italy, and as soon as they find out I’m here; they’ll be watching after us like hawks” Sherlock attempted a smile.

“The “family”, they helped me get to Florence, where Guido and Marco were waiting for me, they couldn’t be involved in what I “negotiated” in Sicily without being spotted as Interpol agents, or as police officers, and subsequently killed for their participation. It was imperative for them to remain in the dark, and they could never know what happened in Sicily” Sherlock steeped his fingers under his chin, with his typical thinking pose.

“Are we safe?” John was worried; Sherlock’s connections could be “dangerous”

“Yes, we are. You have nothing to be worried about. They are quite loyal, as I already explained. Besides, helping them get rid of other mafias gives you a certain position within them” Sherlock smirked with his pompous prick smirk

“Not amused, Sherlock” John scolded “Some impressive friends you’ve collected over the years, though” Sherlock laughed and John followed him. At some point, John stopped being amazed, or amused, by Sherlock’s acquaintances

“I would call them, “connections”, as I said once, I scratch their backs and I… disinfect” Sherlock called the waiter for the check “Shall we? It’s getting cold and I don’t want you to hurt” He pulled John from the chair and rubbed his shoulder. His Doctor was tense and cold, and that usually led to shoulder pain and a moody John.

“But first tell me what happened when you arrived to Florence” John nuzzled Sherlock’s neck and began walking

“Florence was easy, not much to tell except that the lead I got from Sicily helped me greatly and I could follow a few of Moriarty’s men and end up with his network here in Italy; needless to say many “families” are grateful for that, because they could resume their “business” with other countries and because they could give me the names of the men in Greece and another lead in the Czech Republic” Sherlock held John close as they walked, he felt more safe now that John knew him, that he had shared with John some of his darkest  memories. “I actually got the chance to strategize and plan before going to Greece. I was able to sleep and eat, call Mycroft and tell him what had been happening. I asked about you, but he said that you were a distraction that I didn’t need, that you were fine and that was all I needed to know” Sherlock opened the door to their room

“Did he tell you about Mary?” John led his Detective directly to the bathroom to prepare a bath

“No. I found out about her while I was in Serbia…” Sherlock was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, looking at the water as it filled it

“That’s why they captured you” John whispered

“By the time I was in Serbia I was certain that I was going to die. I had killed the last of Moriarty’s men, or so I thought, but I ran into some of his men and they captured me. When Mycroft “rescued” me, the incident that had caused my capture was… resolved and I was needed in England, again”

“Why didn’t you call? Why appearing like that in the restaurant?” John sat on the closed toilet, his elbows on his knees and his chin propped up in his hands.

“Because the day I returned I asked Mycroft about you and he said that you had already forgotten about me, that I shouldn’t intrude in your life, but I insisted until he gave me the information I wanted. He did warn me that you might not be… happy… to see me, but I needed to try. You were with Mary that night…” Sherlock looked away, that was one of the most painful memories he had

“Hey!” John called “Look at me” He walked over to his detective and kissed him “You should get undressed and climb in the hot water with me, I’d love if you could give me one of your incredible massages and then take you to bed” John said between kisses while undressing him “This portion of the interview is over” He smiled and kissed him again


	35. You saved me from my nightmare. February 14th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No war?” Sherlock held his Doctor closer and played with his hair
> 
> “Yes, but you were there and you saved me” John smiled and nuzzled Sherlock’s neck “You saved me from my nightmare, the way you do every morning when you open your eyes and smile at me”

After they shared their bath, John helped his Detective to bed and they cuddled for a while before Sherlock fell asleep. It had been a difficult day for both, many memories of hard and sad moments came to mind, and sleep seemed the only way out of their own minds. John followed him shortly after, and so did the nightmares.

John was holding his phone, listening to Sherlock, he looked up and there he was, in the roof of Bart’s, saying goodbye to John. John tried to run, to stop him, but he was glued to Sherlock and to the roof, his legs were made of stone, and he couldn’t breathe. He watched him fall, and he tried to run to him, but there was no use, the more he tried, the more far away he was. Mary and Mycroft were there, holding him to the spot while he felt the life slip away from his fingers as he watched how Molly, Mycroft and Mary took Sherlock’s body away from him. He tried to call him, to stop them, he tried everything, but he had no voice. He tried to get up, but he fainted and everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes he was chained to the floor, a large man came to him with a scalpel, he asked him about Moriarty and where he was, every time John tried to speak, to say something, the man would cut him and threaten to kill the baby. Other man had her in his arms and he slashed her, John was yelling with no voice, calling for her, for Sherlock. Something moved beside him, it was Sherlock, with his back open and wounded all his scars reopened and fresh. He tried to identify the man, and it was Moriarty he had killed her and now was cutting Sherlock. John fought against the chains, but it was useless. He lost consciousness again until a voice called him.

Magnussen… He was in that terrace having his face flicked, when he heard a shot and hundreds of red lights pointed at Sherlock. Mycroft was in the helicopter giving the order not to shoot, but Mary was there too, and she shot Sherlock, she blew his brains out. John closed his eyes and he was lying on the sand, his shoulder shattered by a bullet and the life running out of him, but something was different this time, it wasn’t Bill the one that helped him, it was Sherlock, and he was smiling at him, he pulled him up and helped him out of the dessert and back to 221B, they were in their room and Sherlock was kissing him.

He opened his eyes and there he was, Sherlock, holding him, calling his name, stroking his cheek and soothing him. John sighed with relief, he remembered where he was, a hotel room in Milan, with Sherlock in an extended honeymoon, travelling around the world with no worries of any kind. He smiled to his Detective and nuzzled his chest. He could hear Sherlock’s heart beating in his ear, feeling the fabric of the Detective’s shirt in his hands, and his steady breathing.

Sherlock was restless, and his nightmare was the same, the man he had tortured was sitting there, with his arms and legs cut open, but he wasn’t torturing any man, he was torturing John, and Moriarty was there, laughing, he knew it was a nightmare, his logic mind was telling him that, and he could feel a body moving next to him, calling his name repeatedly. It was John’s voice, he was in pain and he needed Sherlock. He pulled himself out of the nightmare and opened his eyes. It was the early hours of the morning, and John was screaming and calling for him. He held his Doctor close and kissed him first before pulling him closer. When John opened his eyes Sherlock was relieved, it was the first time in several months since John had a nightmare; and Sherlock could imagine why.

They held each other for a while, until Sherlock could feel John relaxing in his arms. His breathing lulled him back to sleep, and this time no nightmares tormented them. A few hours later Sherlock opened his eyes and there he was, with his Doctor in their hotel room. He moved closer to John and kissed the tip of his nose and nuzzled his head, enjoying the heat that John’s body radiates. John opened his eyes and smiled up at his Detective before kissing that spot in his neck that makes him squirm.

Sherlock knew exactly what that meant, and he opened his legs to receive John between them; immediately, John moved and hoovered over Sherlock kissing his neck and letting his hands roam up and down his sides. Sherlock moved his hands to John’s back and craned his head to the side to give John more skin. His hands played with the hem of John’s t-shirt before pulling it up and rubbing John’s skin. John moved his hands under Sherlock’s t-shirt and helped his detective sit up to remove it; Sherlock stopped him and removed his own shirt and John did the same before pulling out his pyjama bottoms and helping Sherlock out of his.

When all the clothing was out, he took his time to revere his Detective and lavish him with kisses and caresses, before attacking the same spot in his neck again. Sherlock laid on his back and trapped John with his legs, he didn’t need more foreplay. John had kissed him from the tip of his toes to the top of his head and left marks over his skin. The moment John kissed his thigs Sherlock squirmed and moaned with pleasure. John lapped his perineum, moving his tongue up and down, and then with circling motions. He lapped Sherlock’s hole and relaxed the muscle with his tongue before pushing it in. Sherlock arched his back and tried to trap John’s head with his legs but John had a firm grip on them. He pushed his finger in and began moving it, traveling up with his lips to Sherlock’s neck, he pushed a second finger in and circled them and fished the tiny bottle from under the pillow. He squirted some over Sherlock’s hole and used his thumb to spread it, while thrusting his fingers in and out and pushing a third one, enjoying Sherlock’s reaction, the sounds he was making and how his body was moving with need.

He pulled his fingers out and poured some more lube on his throbbing cock and lined up with Sherlock, pushing in slowly and gave Sherlock time to get comfortable. John leaned close to kiss him and looked at him; Sherlock nodded and John thrusted slowly at first, picking up his pace at Sherlock’s urging.

“God Sherlock!” John moaned when the Detective rolled his hips and clenched his muscles “I won’t last long this way” John panted

“I don’t care John” Sherlock rolled his hips again and John grabbed the Detective’s leg and thrusted in the right spot making him squirm and beg for more “There my love!” Sherlock gasped “Harder please! Faster!” John complied and snapped his hips faster, thrusting hard into Sherlock. He wrapped his hand around Sherlock but the Detective shook his head “Only with you” He wrapped his free leg around John’s waist and pulled him close, their chests flush together. John thrusted faster, lost in Sherlock’s body, under his hands and his moans.

“Come gorgeous, please, come now, for me, look at me and come, please my love!” John begged and Sherlock let go with a loud cry “So beautiful” John whispered as he came inside Sherlock with a long moan. He slumped on top of Sherlock and his Detective held him close. Once they could breathe easily, John pulled out of Sherlock and rested his head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat until they finally relaxed.

“Was I torturing you?” Sherlock asked, tilting John’s head up having him look into his eyes

“No, but the man did kill her” John shivered “And you were there, being tortured too”

“I’m sorry John” Sherlock looked guilty

“Not your fault love” John kissed the tip of his nose

“But that wasn’t the only nightmare, was it?” Sherlock pried more

“No, Mary was there and she killed you, and you shot Magnussen and Moriarty was there cutting you…” John sighed

“No war?” Sherlock held his Doctor closer and played with his hair

“Yes, but you were there and you saved me” John smiled and nuzzled Sherlock’s neck “You saved me from my nightmare, the way you do every morning when you open your eyes and smile at me” John kissed the spot in Sherlock’s neck again

“John” Sherlock warned

“Mine” John kissed his neck again, this time sucking and lapping the skin

“Jo…” Sherlock couldn’t finish because the Doctor was already on top of him, thrusting madly, to tease him open again

“Gorgeous and only mine” John kissed his Detective and pushed in again, thrusting shallowly at first and picking his pace once more, holding Sherlock’s long leg over his arm and pointedly thrusting the same exact perfect spot over and over again. Sherlock was speechless; he was fighting to get air in his lungs, lost in the pleasure of John on top of him. “I like it when I render you speechless” John panted in his ear and bit his earlobe “You drive me mad with those gorgeous sounds you make with that deep voice of yours. Fucking gorgeous and mine alone” Sherlock went stiff in John’s arms, pure bliss filling his mind, his Doctor knew how to make him squirm, beg, and feel absolutely happy, and how to make his restless mind come to a full stop.

When Sherlock could breathe, again, he kissed his Doctor with that kiss that made John’s brain turn off and his body go limp. He was about to pull out but Sherlock held him close with his arms and legs

“No” Sherlock grinned “You asked for it, and now you have to live with the consequences” His grin was pure lust “What makes you think that you’ll be able to leave this room any time soon?” He gave his Doctor another kiss and used his legs to turn them “You’ll be allowed to ask for food and water, but you’re not leaving this bed any time soon” He sat on top of John’s before pulling off and calling for room service. Breakfast was needed and lots of water. John took advantage of the Detective’s brief distraction and cleaned himself before wetting a rag to clean his mad husband.

In less than twenty minutes, their breakfast, a very wholesome one, arrived to their door. It was decorated with strawberry hearts and red rose petals, but they ignored it, they were hungry and John wanted Sherlock to keep his promise. They left their room several hours later to have lunch and visit Da Vinci’s Last Supper again before going on a small date. They had dinner at a very weirdly decorated restaurant. Red balloons, heart shaped paper strings, red candles in every table.

Their waitress greeted and handed them their menus before wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day. They both looked at each other, they had forgotten all about it… again

“At least we celebrated it in our own way” John chuckled

“There is no other way I’ll celebrate it” Sherlock smiled and entwined their fingers

“Do you realise it’s been two years since we’re together?” John asked, remembering that dinner at Angelo’s right after their first time

“I thought it was a couple of days ago” Sherlock grinned, remembering the exact same moment and what had led them to it

“I think you’re right, though I’m kind of shitty remembering dates” John blushed, recognising the look in Sherlock’s eyes

“That’s why you have me John” His grin was cheeky, he looked at John and wiggled his brows at him, so John would know he wasn’t talking about the date.

“As long as you remember when we got married, I don’t care if you don’t remember any other date” John moved his foot under the table and rubbed it against Sherlock’s crotch making the detective jump in his chair

“So that’s the game you want to play?” Sherlock husked with that low tone that melted John

“Maybe” He rubbed faster. Sherlock grabbed his foot under the table and massaged it with one hand making the Doctor shiver

“I don’t care much for the public here, no one knows us, so if you don’t want me to take you right here on this table, you’re going to behave, eat your dinner and then rush to our hotel room” Sherlock leaned as close as he could to John’s ear and whispered the words before biting his earlobe. He released John’s foot and the Doctor, slightly amused, decided to try his Detective’s limits and rubbed his cock again

“Fair warning” Sherlock said and pulled the Doctor closer and kissed him thoroughly, pulling him up and then pushing him down to the table, moving his hand to his neck and holding him close, grabbing his wrists with his free hand.

“Sher…!” John’s protest was muffled by Sherlock’s mouth, as he tried to push the Detective away, people cheered and clapped at them. John managed to break out of the kiss and glared at his Detective, his ears and cheeks red as a beet, and his lips kiss swollen.

“Fair warning” Sherlock grinned and released his husband, then smiled at the other patrons and lied, in perfect Italian “Lui ha detto sì!” (He said yes) and everybody grinned and congratulated them, after all, they were in Italy and tradition says that if you propose on Valentine’s Day you’ll have a long and wonderful marriage.

Many “In bocca al lupo” (Good luck and congratulations) later, John had forgiven his detective and was desperate to go back to their hotel, because Sherlock made sure that he was thoroughly teased during dinner. When they arrived to their hotel, their room was decorated with red roses and candles

“You cheeky bugger” John smiled, his detective had gone the mile to celebrate one of the many anniversaries they had created and he was about to make sure that John would never forget about it.    


	36. From fair Verona to romantic Venice. February 15th to February 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Some would say that as the marksman I am, or was, I was able to look at a girl one morning, and have her over, or under me, by the night. As the seemingly endless amount of girlfriends I had over the first year we met shows; I have quite a sweet tongue when ladies are around. I can be very… convincing, and as you already know, I like to talk a bit dirty”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All about John "Three Continents" Watson

The next morning, thoroughly spent and fully sated, they left Milan and Sherlock drove to Venice. They made two strategic stops, to quench their Shakespearian curiosity, one in Verona and one in Padua. They spent a day and a night in Verona, walking around the city and visiting the most interesting sites. Sherlock took John to Old Verona and visited Castelvecchio and the Roman Theatre before visiting The Arena. They walked over Veronetta and visited St. Peter’s Castle, while Sherlock narrated parts of Romeo and Juliet to John. That afternoon, and since it was February, they were able to see a Romeo and Juliet performance and visited the places related to the story, such as Juliet’s House and Juliet’s tomb.

In their excitement, they forgot they were supposed to find a hotel, and by the end of the afternoon, exhausted from their site seeing, they spent an hour looking for a place to stay, in the end, and calling a favour, Sherlock got them a nice suite at one of the best hotels in Verona, Palazzo Victoria.

“Your contacts sure like you” John teased Sherlock as soon as they entered the room

“I told you already, helping them helps me” Sherlock looked at John, loving the admiration look he had on his face and enjoying it greatly.

“I might get used to sleeping in places like this you know” John jumped on the bed and closed his eyes, resting his head on his arms

“It will be easy to achieve if I get my contacts to help, I can stay pretty much wherever I want, just need to call and that’s it” Sherlock went to the bed and laid next to John, looking at his husband’s sleepy face

“Wherever you want?” John yawned

“Yup, besides they would never charge me” Sherlock closed his eyes too; he was exhausted after walking around the whole day.  

“You mean we’re staying here for free?” John shifted on the bed and hugged his husband  

“We’ve been staying everywhere for free my love” Sherlock shifted closer and snuggled his husband. The time that took John to be wide awake, was enough for Sherlock to start snoring softly, seemingly fast asleep. John sighed; Sherlock had ways to surprise him, always. He got up and went to the restroom, a few minutes later Sherlock followed him.

“What’s wrong love?” John asked with his mouth full with foam

“I need a shower, my muscles are sore. Care to join me?” Sherlock grinned and turned the shower on

“Always!” John winked and rinsed his mouth before climbing in behind his husband.

The next morning they shared a very early breakfast, they were about to leave when they received an envelope.

“It’s from Mycroft” John looked at the manila envelope with curiosity

“Maybe another case” Sherlock snatched the envelope from his husband's hands and stored it in his bag, forgetting about it for the time being

“What are our plans for the day?” John finished his breakfast

“We can leave to Venice today, and make one stop in Padua, or we can go and tour Verona a little longer”

“May we stay in Padua for the night?”

“Of course we may. To Padua then?”

“Yes, how long would it take?”

“One hour or so; depends on how heavy the traffic is. Let’s go”

“Right behind you sweetie” John spanked him loudly and laughed heartily before leaving the room

Before they left Verona, Sherlock called one of his “contacts” and they were expected in one of the most beautiful hotels in the centre of the city. Suffice to say that the room was free of charge and they had a very important dinner invitation as soon as they arrived to Sicily.

They walked all over Padua, and their first stop was the Botanical garden, as usual. John knew that being surrounded by nature was good for his Detective, besides seeing bees, flowers and butterflies turned him into a happy child; not the same way as a murder did, but it help him relax and have a restful night; of course the fact that they shagged each other’s brains out helped too, but walking and talking helped them both exorcise some demons. Sherlock explained John the history of the town, as always, and John just enjoyed looking at his madman and his childlike expression.

The next day they left Padua in the afternoon, after enjoying one last sunset in a city café, Venice was waiting for them and they had plans to enjoy the city as much as possible. Less than an hour later they were in one of the many hotels in Venice. They called in an early night and enjoyed each other’s company, the sound of the water and the people and the gondolas lulled them to sleep.

The next morning, Sherlock had rented a boat and took John to Murano they bought a nice glass violet for Violet, and some other gifts for Mrs. Hudson and Molly. They visited Saint Erasmo and returned to their hotel in San Marco. The next two days they spent their time walking around Venice, visiting the basilica and the palace; leaving the Galleria and the Scuola for the afternoon.

They went to a mask ball during their third night in Venice, and John was absolutely excited, Sherlock was dressed all in black, a long cape and a top hat, his hair combed back and a mask that left his gorgeous lips on sight. John spent the whole night kissing those lips. They even bought some masks for their friends, they had become very fond of buying some knick-knacks, more like memorabilia, from every town they step foot on.

Their last day, they spent their time at the hotel, the Danieli of course, looking over passers-by, with Sherlock deducing and John laughing. John was in the mood for a coffee and invited Sherlock to walk over to the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) and ended up in a café near Piazza San Marco

“I was known as “three continents Watson” because I was more than just a ladies man” John began talking all of the sudden, startling Sherlock who was looking at a particular couple and deducing for how long had they been together. Sherlock turned over and placed all his attentions to John’s face; he had a strange look, not longingness, nor fondness, resignation? No. Relief? Yes, he looked exactly the same way he did after Sherlock said yes to the officiant, as if for a moment he had doubted Sherlock saying yes.

“Some would say that as the marksman I am, or was, I was able to look at a girl one morning, and have her over, or under me, by the night. As the seemingly endless amount of girlfriends I had over the first year we met shows; I have quite a sweet tongue when ladies are around. I can be very… convincing, and as you already know, I like to talk a bit dirty” John made Sherlock blush, remembering exactly what they had been doing just a few hours ago in the shower.

“But, ever since you; I lost my ability to find a woman that suited me, and your help, pointing out what they expected and how they were, made it even more difficult for me to… get off… with anyone, except Mary of course, she was around when you weren’t and she helped me to realise that I loved you more than I ever wanted to admit, and in a way, she was what I needed at the moment” John looked over at Sherlock and he could see the need to apologise growing in his Detective’s eyes, so he went back to the subject at hand “But going back to the nickname” John cleared his throat “It has more to do with the places I’ve had… girlfriends. My first was in Australia, first everything too. I was sad because of my mum, so she helped me sort of “get over it”… I seem to do that a lot… After her, I had a myriad of girlfriends; my charm helped me get almost every girl I set eyes on. My friends, male friends, were always jealous, but at the same time, they waited for me to dump them an run to the opportunity to get them, rescue them from me, and as soon as I was done with one I looked for the next” John was blushing hard, during his first dating period he acted as an arse towards his girlfriends, and if any of them wouldn’t put out, he’ll just toss them to one side, he needed to get rid of the desolation feeling he had after his mother died, the same he had after Sherlock…

“When I returned to England, I acted less like a philanderer but sort of became a proper gentleman, and a serial monogamist. University was hard, and keeping relationships with my classmates became imperative, but not only romantic ones, I needed to keep some of the ladies as my friends and colleagues, so I wouldn’t be ostracised by them. I had to treat them better, not just as simple shags, I needed to treat them as ladies and respect them. After med school, in the army, I had my fair share of ladies too; from nurses to fellow soldiers, and also some women from the countries I visited with the Army, meaning Africa, particularly Kenya, Brunei and Afghanistan, though I had learned how to swoon them and I was still teased as a ladies man, most my fellow soldiers called me “one word Watson”, and it was Bill the one that began calling me “three continents Watson”, because, for some weird reason, he kept track of my conquests, the last being, well… Mary”

Sherlock was aghast. Sure, John had dated about ten women in less than a year, and somehow he was to blame for it, because he had a way to ruin every date John had, particularly when he was dating Sarah. To be honest, the only woman he had liked for John was Mary; mostly because she had rescued him from his solitude and had given him a new reason to live. His eyes moved from one side to the other, processing everything he had heard. He had no idea what to say or do. He wasn’t mad or angry; he was just utterly… surprised “I don’t know what to say”

“That you love me?” John felt ashamed, sure he was a terrible flirt, even though Sherlock was even better at flirting, but their reasons for flirting were different, he wanted to get laid, Sherlock wanted information.

“Of course I love you John!” Sherlock snorted “I can’t judge you for what you’ve done in your life; or with how many women you’ve been with, though I’m surprised, not for the many or not many women, or the many or not many continents you’ve got… laid, but with your skills to… swoon… women. I’d like to propose an experiment, I want to see you flirt with someone, other than me of course” Sherlock was planning on an experiment to measure John’s ability

“Hell no Sherlock! I’m not going to flirt with anyone, much less with you watching just for you to experiment with me, or the time span in which I’m able to convince a woman, or a man, that I want to get laid!” John seemed furious, but at the same time, it was sort of a challenge, so he decided to flirt with Sherlock and measure the time it took to take him to bed. He started with his oldest technique, licking his lips while looking at Sherlock up and down. He could see the Detective blushing a little, round one done, now the next round, using his eyes to flirt; he wiggled his eyebrows and looked at Sherlock suggestively, biting his lower lip and closing his eyes before tracing his own lips with his fingers. Sherlock shifted in his chair and ran a hand over his hair, second round won, and it had taken less than five minutes. Third round, John took Sherlock’s hand in his and traced the palm with his fingers, touching softly and slowly; Sherlock’s hand twitched, and John knew he had won the third round. Sherlock was breathing heavily, John was seducing him, slowly… no words needed. John leaned in close, round four; he ghosted his lips over Sherlock’s ear and murmured “gorgeous” huskily, nothing more. Sherlock shivered and sighed, biting his lip to contain a moan. Fourth round won, he tugged Sherlock’s hand and stood, before pulling his Detective up; John smiled at him and led him back to their hotel, in less than an hour, Sherlock was begging, twice, for John to fuck him harder.

After their afternoon activities, they went to eat to a very posh restaurant; they danced, had a few drinks, and had flirted with each other most of the night. They kissed all the way to the hotel and were planning on having a very long and romantic night. They arrived to their hotel late at night, but before they could share an enticing bath, John’s mobile chimed relentlessly

“Hi Mycroft” John greeted, cordially, regretting immediately answering his mobile.

“John, how are you, how’s my brother?” Mycroft was being cordial too

“We’re both fine, just arrived to our hotel room”

“I know” John sighed, they were being followed, and he knew that, but it still annoyed the hell out of him “I was calling because there is a pressing matter that you need to attend, and by you I mean, just you John. I sent an envelope, and I hope you had time to check it” Mycroft was being more serious than ever. John frowned, which made Sherlock worry and try to listen to the conversation, but John moved away and held a hand to stop the Detective

“No, I haven’t checked the envelope, is it urgent?” The first thing that went through John’s mind was his sister, since Sherlock was with him

“Please, read it and call me, we have just a few more days to act upon it. It concerns you directly and Sherlock indirectly, though now that I think of it… it concerns you both as a couple”

“Can’t you please just tell me?”

“I could tell you, but in the end you’ll have to read the documents. Call me as soon as you two make a decision. Good night John” and with that Mycroft ended the call, leaving a very worried John with his own thoughts

“Love?” John called Sherlock who had retired to the bathroom to prepare a bath and left John alone in the room

“Yes?”

“Where’s the envelope your brother sent?” John could feel the tremor back in his left hand

“My bag John, why?”

“He said I should read it, because it concerns me particularly and that it might affect us as a couple” John was pale and his knees faltered. Sherlock was there with him in a second. He led him to the bathroom and helped him get in the tub

“I’ll go get it, you relax and we both will solve whatever it is that my brother has thrown our way” Sherlock kissed John’s forehead and went to get the envelope. When he returned, he knew their unplanned romantic night was over “Are you okay love?” Sherlock was concerned, not even the hot water had helped John relax

“Yeah, just worried, I fear it has something to do with Harry” John closed his eyes and sighed, Harriet…

“I don’t think it has something to do with your sister; he would have called earlier and this envelope arrived the same day as we did, and he has called us almost a week after, so if it’s as urgent as he says, he would’ve called earlier in the week, and not today. So the urgency has nothing to do with Harriet, or at least her health” Sherlock handed the envelope to John and undressed, before climbing in the tub with his husband, facing him.

John opened the envelope and his eyes widened as he read its contents. He looked at Sherlock and smiled widely, before realising that even though he was happy with the news, Sherlock could disagree. He handed Sherlock the envelope and looked at him as he read, his eyes went from disbelieve to surprise, to happiness; Sherlock was on board!


	37. Meanwhile in London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He waited impatiently for the call, and sighed in relief the second he saw John’s name on his mobile screen. The next day he was on his plane to Bologna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life continues in London, and many things have happened since the boys left Baker Street, including Mycroft visiting Mrs. Hudson!

Right after their wedding, Sherlock and John left England, but unlike their flat, that remained silent and waiting for them, the city of London was bustling with energy, movement, and people. Each of their friends, from Mike to Molly had continued with their lives and lived in a Watson-Holmes-less London. The first month seemed easy, the criminal classes hadn’t noticed that the city was Detective-less, and the Yard had managed to control the few and seemingly easy cases that were directed their way. The second month things picked up and the city noticed they were missing a Detective and his Blogger, and the criminal classes picked up on their job and challenged the apparently moronic Yard.

Donovan was thriving, she had solved, on her own, two twos, and she was happy to prove to his superior, Lestrade; that she was as capable as Sherlock, though the DI had sent Sherlock the cases and he had solved them in less than seven minutes, both… so when Sally came two days later with the news that she had solved them, he already had issued warrants, and practically arrested the guilty parties, but let Donovan take the credit.

Anderson, on the other hand, had created a new blog about the Detective and his conspiracy theories. His relationship with Donovan had finally estranged enough and he was willing to protect the Detective’s reputation from now on. His blog had attracted more people that kept on looking for Sherlock and John, and shared theories about their whereabouts and what might have happened to them, to Mary and the baby. Dimmock, on the other hand; relied on the Detective’s expertise, and had called for his help to solve a series of kidnappings that had him befuddled. The yard was working, Lestrade was over his head, but trying to manage, he couldn’t believe the Detective was gone for less than three months, and he was already missing him; and tried to remember how things were while he was gone for two years, the saddest and most awful two years of his life.

Molly had learned to cope with the fact that she needed to wait another two years to find the Detective in her laboratory; she had grown too used to see him again, that she could never imagine her laboratory being so empty and quiet. She missed John too, and had made a purpose on visiting Mrs. Hudson at least once a week. During one of those visits, she had run into Gregson, one of the DI’s at the Yard, a week after John and Sherlock’s wedding and departure. After her tea with Mrs. Hudson, they shared a cup of coffee and talked about life, they had shared a few coffees, and after Tom, Tobias had saved her from loneliness. After her breakup, Tobias used to call her to see how she was, and one afternoon, after a particularly nice coffee date, he had kissed her

That kiss had escalated slowly, coffee dates, lunch dates, dinner dates, until that night after tea with Mrs. Hudson, when Molly had finally decided to stay the night with Gregson, almost a year after that first kiss. Tobias understood her, she needed time to forget Sherlock, and Tobias was very different from the Detective; he was sweeter, delicate, patient; he liked Molly for who she was and not for what favour she could do for him. No one had noticed them being together, the long looks, the lingering touches, the hidden smiles, well, no one, but Sherlock Holmes, thankfully, John was a good influence on the Detective and he never said a word about those little details he had witnessed. After that first night, they had spent each night together, and Molly had moved in with him, confidentially of course. Molly wanted to talk to Sherlock about it, tell him about her and Tobias, but Sherlock already knew, so she felt relief when Sherlock and John congratulated them.

As for Greg and Mycroft, well… After John’s first wedding, Greg had asked Molly to take him to Mycroft’s place, he was worried about Sherlock and he knew that Mycroft could help him get in touch with the elusive Detective. After ten years, Greg had to admit that he had feelings for Mycroft and that he was in love with the posh Government official. He decided to tell Mycroft all about his feelings; he didn’t want to go through the same as Sherlock, in case everything failed, he could blame it on the alcohol consumption.

As planned, he arrived to Mycroft’s and expressed his concern about the missing Detective. Mycroft already knew that Sherlock was back at 221B so he assured the Detective that he would keep an eye on his little brother. Mycroft was leading Greg to the door and Greg decided to act before it was too late, he pushed Mycroft against the door and snogged him with all the want and need he had built up over the years. He was pleasantly surprised when the posh man returned the kiss, and before he knew, they were headed to a rather large bed and Mycroft was ravishing him. After that night, they had maintained their relationship a secret, a security matter, Mycroft assured his DI, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t spend every night possible together.

Sure, they had a fight after Greg found out all about Mycroft helping Sherlock pretend he was dead, but all was forgiven after a nice dinner and some cuddles. After the plane, Sherlock was eyeing them curiously, and they both knew they had been discovered; but Sherlock kept the secret and they were both very grateful. Greg decided it was time to tell Sherlock all about them, and announce their families they were dating, but Mycroft always had some excuse, a long trip, an international crisis, Sherlock being Sherlock, you name it. Greg had asked Mycroft to tell Sherlock to call him, the perfect excuse, some cases that needed solving, what Greg wasn’t expecting was an early call, or actually, him being in bed late with Mycroft, in the end all went smoothly and Greg was more than happy with the result    

The next step for them, besides living together, was getting married, but Greg knew he needed to take his time; rushing Mycroft wasn’t exactly a great idea, though their trip to Vienna had proved to be a wonderful trip, and he wanted to repeat the experience. He planned a perfect weekend but he had no clue that they will be spending it with the entire Holmes clan. But compared to the craziness of the Holmes’ family, their relationship was quite perfect, wonderful company, nice conversation, common interests, literature, poetry, music, dance… and Greg was convinced that he wanted to be with Mycroft for a rest of his life, so he thought about it and decided to propose, but first, he needed to ask Sherlock and John, he needed help, he wanted to take Mycroft to a nice place and they could help him.

After they met in France, Mike Stamford was really grateful to John and Sherlock, he had received an envelope containing two flight reservations to any country he choose, including hotel reservations, car rental and a letter explaining that his expenses in the chosen country will be covered fully with one call. Mike’s wife was even happier about it, and she was already planning their next anniversary trip, although the letter explained they could go whenever they pleased; it was a gift to thank him for introducing them.

Sherlock’s parents received a call every week, and after their trip to Vienna they were more than convinced that the best thing that could have ever happened to Sherlock was John, and all they wanted was for Mycroft to find someone too. Every week or so, they received a little package from their sons, meaning Sherlock and John, little knick-knacks from every city they visited. Violet, like a proud mama, just placed the gifts all over the house, and waited for John’s weekly call to tell him where she had placed each gift and how she felt and how much they missed them. Sherlock, even when he sulked, talked to his parents always after John had exhausted his mother, but he actually enjoyed talking to her every week, it was a new found pleasure being nice with his parents.     

Mrs. Hudson was a bit sad, she missed her boys, but at the same time, she was happy that they were finally together; the previous… hiatus… had been a sad one, she was the silent witness to her boys suffering for each other and she was the happiest mother in the world when they finally said yes to each other. She loved Sherlock and John, and she would do anything for them to be happy; on the other hand, even though Mycroft wasn’t his favourite, she liked him, and of course she liked Greg, as soon as she saw the way they were acting with each other she knew they were headed in the right way. She received a call every week, Sherlock telling her all about their trip and John telling her all about Sherlock and the way he was behaving, she was a proud mama. She would tell them how things were going, and all about the dust in their apartment, and her cleaning habits.

But something happened, and she was forced to call Mycroft, she received an envelope that looked really important, and as the many others she had received, she asked Mycroft to send them to his baby bother. This one was particularly special, it was addressed to John and it was remitted by Mary; though she died quite some time ago, didn’t she? Mrs. Hudson called Mycroft immediately and he took the letter and had it checked up, no poison, no bombs, not a mobile phone, a plain letter and other documents. He wanted to open the envelope but all he could do was sent it along with other things his brother and John had received and might need.  

Mycroft received his so needed information in less than a week. He had sent the documents and letters to one of his birds after they confirmed Sherlock and John had left Milan, so he assumed the letter was nothing of importance and let it go; that is until a week later he received a frantic call from Mrs. Hudson while a baby squealed next to her. Even before Mrs. Hudson could say anything, Mycroft was already in his car and heading desperately to 221B.

Indeed, Martha Hudson, landlady extraordinaire, looked dishevelled and truly desperate; she had a crying toddler in her arms, and the baby was distressed too, she looked tired and anxious, and absolutely scared. Mycroft entered Mrs. Hudson’s flat and she immediately handed him the little girl and another envelope.

_Can’t do this anymore. Mary said John should keep her… David_

“A man named David came and said that he had left an envelope early in the month, the one I gave you for John about a week ago. He said that all the papers are there, he gave me the baby and left” Mrs. Hudson was angry, she practically snarled David’s name and she looked confused and distressed “He said that since John hadn’t called him he went ahead and brought the baby to him”

Mycroft was struck dumb; he needed to know what the contents of the envelope were, but having a slumbering toddler in his arms, pretty much explained part of the situation. He called them immediately, and he got a hold on John after the third ring, the baby was asleep, and this was something he couldn’t talk about with a phone call. He waited impatiently for the call, and sighed in relief the second he saw John’s name on his mobile screen. The next day he was on his plane to Bologna.    


	38. Bell’s arrival. February 21st and February 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as Mycroft let her go, she wobbled to Sherlock’s legs and called him daddy, even though she had seen him once in her entire life and he looked nothing like David, he carried her and hugged her close, giving her a kiss on her little head. Both Mycroft and John were astounded, the little girl immediately wrapped herself around the not so lanky detective and nuzzled his neck, before giggling loudly and grabbing his characteristic blue scarf with both her hands and playing with it. It was love at first sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve based Isabelle’s behaviour on my niece, she’s sweet and loving and she cares for people, since she was born she was practically Miss Congeniality, loving everyone and smiling at everyone; she calls all her uncles “daddy”. Now she’s about to turn four and is even more extroverted and loving, her speech improved a lot by two, but I think if you leave Sherlock with a child they would probably end up talking as a Webster in no time.

After John called Mycroft, they decided to meet up in Bologna as soon as they arrived to their hotel. They arrived two hours before Mycroft, so they decided to go for a coffee and visit the city; but instead, they went to a kids store and bought everything they could, from a car seat to dresses and plush toys. They tried to visit the city but they were too excited to even notice the beauty of the place. When the time to meet Mycroft came, Sherlock was all fidgety, barely even able to contain his excitement, John was nervous, and walked all over, it was almost impossible for him to stay put for more than two seconds.

The moment Mycroft arrived, John had the documents ready. He remembered the night before; the second Sherlock read the papers, he left the bathtub and went to look for a biro; he had signed the papers even before discussing anything with John. John was excited and smiled at his husband, following his example and signing the papers without even looking at them. David had sent them a letter from Mary, saying that if in case something happened to her, she wanted John to be her daughter’s godfather; and in case David had any problems, John and Sherlock should become the baby’s legal guardians.

David was out of his depth, Mary had left enough money for their daughter to have a nice life, but everything was placed on a trust fund and he would receive a monthly stipend to be spent exclusively on the baby. He had hoped that keeping the baby would mean he’ll have enough money but he had to work to keep up with the life style he had grown accustomed while he was with Mary. After Mary’s death, just a couple of months after their daughter’s first birthday; David was overwhelmed, the baby was too much of a burden, but he decided to try, particularly after he received Violet Isabelle’s estate.

Unlike Mary, David had no idea John and Sherlock were together and that they were married, he just read the documents Mary left him and signed the papers without even blinking, leaving the baby to them as if he was giving them a greeting card. He waited long enough to give the baby away, he handed her to Mrs. Hudson and the next day he delivered everything to 221B. He had no idea the baby was already halfway to Bologna. Mycroft had arranged all the documentation for the baby to travel with her parents; she was legally a Holmes-Watson.

Little Violet Isabelle was a tiny copy of Mary; hair blonde, eyes blue, a tiny button nose, and not unlike Mary, unruly curls. As soon as Mycroft let her go, she wobbled to Sherlock’s legs and called him daddy, even though she had seen him once in her entire life and he looked nothing like David, he carried her and hugged her close, giving her a kiss on her little head. Both Mycroft and John were astounded, the little girl immediately wrapped herself around the not so lanky detective and nuzzled his neck, before giggling loudly and grabbing his characteristic blue scarf with both her hands and playing with it. It was love at first sight.

Sherlock was mesmerised by the little girl, he looked at her with amazement and love; he had that look that melted John, the exact look he had when they looked at each other, full with love and amazement.

“Hello Bell” Sherlock murmured “Did you know you have your grand-mummies’ names? You’ll be meeting them really soon baby love” Sherlock was grinning widely and the baby looked at him with curiosity, excitement, love… Definitely love at first sight. Sherlock handed Bell to John and the baby immediately leaned into John’s touch. “Daddy” she called again; and John couldn’t hold a loud and hearty laugh.

“Hi beautiful” John smiled and kissed her. The baby snuggled close and sighed. She felt safe in their arms, as much as she did in Mycroft’s. Apparently, the little baby could feel the love the three men felt for her. Once again, it was love at first sight “Thanks for bringing her to us Mycroft”

Mycroft was a silent witness to the scene, he had never seen his brother so happy in his life; he even was a little chubby and looked relaxed. He never imagined Sherlock as a family man, but seeing him looking at his husband and his daughter with those eyes was another thing; his brother had changed, and for the best.

“Well, I guess I’ll be leaving now” Mycroft cleared his throat “I’ll make sure that you have everything you need for your trips now that you’re traveling with a toddler” He turned to the door “By the way. Another car will be waiting for you at the parking lot, to best accommodate my niece…” Mycroft smiled at the baby “…and her stuff” Mycroft handed Sherlock some keys for a Jaguar SUV “I’ll make sure your sport one is delivered promptly to London”

“Thank you” John took the keys and was about to open the door until he heard the baby

“Mycof!” Bell called and launched herself from John’s arms to Mycroft’s. The British Government held her and smiled “Well, at least she knows I’m not her daddy” Mycroft made a joke; the “Iceman” joked about something! Both Sherlock and John looked at each other not knowing whether to laugh or be surprised and settled on both. Bell was playing with her uncle’s tie pin and pulling the tie out

“She seems well adjusted” Sherlock remarked “I bet you spent the last two hours having her repeat your name”

“This is the first time she has spoken in about twelve hours” Mycroft answered “I went to get her last night after Mrs. Hudson called me, and she fell asleep in my arms, almost as soon as I got a hold of her. Apparently she feels safe in my arms, and for the look of it, in yours. Though I’ve been telling her that we will be seeing papa and daddy soon” Mycroft explained

“Was she comfortable with Mrs. Hudson?” Sherlock needed to know, in case they needed her to help them

“She seemed distressed at first, but she was comfortable with Mrs. Hudson; she’s actually very amicable and loved playing with everyone on the plane; she’s quite charming, actually” Mycroft moved the baby from one hip to the other and allowed her to play with his collar. She was actually the most charming baby he had ever met, and all she needed was to smile to have him melted, he had to admit to himself that his brand new niece had him wrapped around her little finger, almost in the same way she had her brand new parents. Mycroft handed the baby to his brother, but not before kissing her temple and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She giggled and smooched him loudly before jumping to Sherlock’s arms.

“I can see that” Sherlock bounced her “You know where David is?”

“We have him on the radar; just in case” Mycroft was looking at the little girl “We’ll keep him on it as long as you want. By the way, I bought you these” Mycroft handed John a box

“Baby monitors?” John snorted

“I guess you know your honeymoon is over, but that doesn’t mean that you need to keep the baby in the same room as yours, does it?” Mycroft sassed

“Goodbye Mycroft” Sherlock practically pushed his brother out the door “Gabye Mycof!” Bell pushed her uncle out the door helping her father

“Say hi to Greg from us” John shouted at the closed door and could hear a sigh coming from the other side

“You’re a great asset baby love” Sherlock kissed her neck and made her laugh “So, what should we do today baby love? Walk around town with daddy?” He nuzzled her little stomach and she squealed

“I think we should buy a buggy for her, that way we can visit all the places we’ve planned to without a problem”

“Didn’t we buy one already?” Sherlock looked at all the boxes and bags they brought from the kids’ store.

“I don’t think so” John was unpacking some of the clothes to change her and keep her warm, and he also found one of the plush toys, a little bee that Sherlock chose for her. Bell immediately grabbed the toy giggling and hugging the little bee.

“Let’s go buy the buggy and then to the museums you wanted to visit. After that we can go to the park, and maybe tire her enough so she could sleep all night. Do you think the buggy will be big enough for her to sleep, or should we ask for a cot?”

“I think we should ask for a cot, and buy some baby food too. She’s two already, and according to the instructions she no longer needs a bottle to sleep, but we need to buy her some juice and sippee cups, nappies for the night and since she’s already potty training we should buy a wipe clean mattress cover” John was changing her noticing her nappy was dry

“Do you realise we have a daughter?” Sherlock sat on the bed, looking bewildered. The situation just dawning, he looked at John with panic and uncertainty

“I… eh…” John sat on the bed next to the baby and started to panic too, he felt as if he was having a heart attack

“Breathe” Sherlock soothed him “We’re ready” For once he was uncertain about what he was saying, but at the same time, he knew that John needed reassurance, and he was the one that should give him some

“Daddy?” Bell leaned into John and hugged him, doing what Sherlock was doing, soothing him

“Come here beautiful” John held her and got of the bed “Let’s go buy you a buggy. What do you say?” The baby giggled and jumped in his arms “We’re ready” He smiled at his husband and held his hand out to Sherlock.

They went to the store and bought even more stuff, clothes, nappies, toys; a buggy, everything they might need. They went back to the hotel and asked for a cot before leaving for the afternoon. They took Bell to a couple of museums and after a while they ended up in the botanical garden. They stopped for lunch, a bathroom break and some juice and a walk. By night, they went back to their hotel and shared a family dinner before Bell fell asleep, exhausted after the day they had.

They stayed in Bologna for another night, visiting some other museums and parks, and began to create a schedule for the baby. Breakfast at seven, juice cup and fruit at ten, lunch at one, twenty minutes nap after lunch, juice cup and biscuits at four and dinner at seven; bed time at eight, and of course bathroom breaks; a bath after dinner and before bedtime, bedtime stories or violin music, and to please Sherlock, speech lessons everywhere they went.

The first night was the hardest, they stayed up all night watching the baby, and that was the main reason why they stayed for another night; Bell was actually a breeze, well behaved and loving, and they were sure it had to do a lot with Mary’s upbringing. John was certain that if Mary hadn’t been killed, the baby would behave even better. They knew it might take time to get her into a schedule but she was comfortable with them, and proved to be quite patient and curious.

She loved hearing the violin and the stories, and enjoyed her first bath time thoroughly. So far, the only thing she hated was her buggy, she enjoyed walking and being carried everywhere, but got used to it fairly quickly. The next night, John and Sherlock made love as usual, and Bell proved to be a quiet and nice roommate.

The next morning, excited parents and an excited baby left Bologna in the early hours of the morning after sharing breakfast. Their next stop, Florence


	39. From Rome with the family. February 23th to February 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was astonished by the sights, their hotel was close to the coliseum and everything in Rome looked wonderful. Bell was as happy as daddy John, pointing at everything and babbling about everything she could see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have arrived to Rome!!! ROMA!!!! And a case is waiting for them.
> 
> Enjoy, and as always. Love you all, the kudos and comments!

An hour and a half later they arrived to Florence, their hotel room was ready; they had a cot and Bell’s morning snack. Their first stop was the Uffizi Gallery, and Sherlock explained little Bell everything about the paintings and sculptures, having her walk around the corridors, both men holding her hands and looking at her curious face with love and amazement. After the Uffizi, they went to the Da Vinci Museum and The Medici Villa. They walked around the gardens and Bell ran around laughing and playing with her fathers.

The next day, instead of going to another museum, Sherlock drove John and Bell to Pisa, an hour or so later they were standing near the leaning tower of Pisa sharing a gelato. They returned to Florence in the afternoon hours and ended up in Chianti, walking around a vineyard.

“One of the days I stayed in Florence I had to follow a man around town. He was hiding at Ponte Vecchio; and it’s around here” Sherlock took John to the bridge in the early hours of the night, after placing a sleeping Bell in her buggy “There are many houses there, and a perfect hiding spot. I found one of Moriarty’s guys hiding there, he was waiting for me but we; I mean Marco and me, found him before he could hit me. We captured him, and he was the one that promised to help me take over Moriarty’s network, unfortunately he was killed by one of his accomplices and his accomplice was killed by Marco”

“I’m just glad they didn’t hurt you” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “Maybe we should return to the hotel. It’s been a long day and I really want Bell to sleep all night”

“You’re right. It’s getting cold and she seems to be getting up” Sherlock got her out of the buggy and held her close, covering her tiny body with his coat. Their life had certainly changed and they were happy, though now they had to take care of a little girl and obviously be more careful with cases and what not.

The next morning, before they could leave their hotel, Guido called Sherlock and asked him for help once he arrived to Rome; they had a case involving the murders of three clergymen, Guido shared only a few details with Sherlock, and asked him to arrive to Rome sooner than he had planned, so they shortened their stay at Florence. That afternoon, they left to Rome and arrived four hours later after a short stop in Orvieto for Bell’s snack.     

John was astonished by the sights, their hotel was close to the coliseum and everything in Rome looked wonderful. Bell was as happy as daddy John, pointing at everything and babbling about everything she could see. As at their previous stops, Sherlock’s friends were waiting for them at their hotel. Marco and Guido received them with the same affection as their other friends had; the only difference was the surprised looks in their faces after seeing Bell.

“Lara didn’t say anything about a baby” Marco was astonished, his mouth fell open and was looking at Sherlock as if he was an alien holding a nuclear bomb. His eyes wide open in disbelief, as he watched the baby absolutely relaxed in Sherlock’s arms, playing with his scarf and smiling happily at John’s funny faces.

“Oh, right” Sherlock looked at his friend and smiled fondly “This is Isabelle, our daughter. Say hi to Marco and Guido baby love” He turned Bell to face the gobsmacked men “And this is John, my husband” He pulled John close “These are Marco and Guido, my Italian family”

“Hi” John shook their hands before taking Bell from Sherlock’s arms, thus allowing his husband to properly greet his friends. Marco and Guido were befuddled, and they could barely articulate any questions or even greet his friend properly. After several minutes in shock, Guido was able to hug Sherlock and smile at John and Bell. Marco did the same looking at John and the baby. They couldn’t articulate any words; they just kept looking at the family with astonishment.

“We have to check in and take our bags to the room. Please wait for us at the lobby and then we can go have something to eat and you can tell me about the case” Sherlock patted Guido’s arm and lead the dumbfounded men to the hotel lobby. The men just followed his friend and waited for them to come back

“Lara didn’t say anything about a baby” Marco repeated himself

“I know” Guido was still trying to grasp the concept of Sherlock Holmes as a father

“Do you think she knows? Because Gustav and Jacques didn’t say a thing either” Marco pulled out his phone and dialled Lara’s number

“I’ll call Jacques and Gustav to ask them about it” Guido pulled his phone out and dialled Jacques’ number

“Hey Lara, Marco here” Marco greeted the woman “Why didn’t you mention Sherlock was bringing his daughter to Rome?” he scolded

“Daughter? What daughter? They don’t have kids. What are you talking about?” Lara started laughing “Are you sure you’re talking about Sherlock Holmes?”

“They? Didn’t you hear me? Sherlock Holmes has a daughter! Her name is Isabelle”

“Come again?” Lara couldn’t believe what she was hearing “Mikhail!” She called “They have a daughter!” Marco could hear some noises on the other side of the line Mikhail’s unbelieving voice saying something in Polish “He can’t believe it” Lara laughed on the other side “Have you asked the guys in France and Germany about it?”

“No, Guido is calling Jacques, but I think he’s as surprised as the rest of us are. I think Sherlock wants to keep his daughter a secret?”

“I think is best. By the way, have you met his husband?” Lara couldn’t stop laughing

“Husband? What husband?” Marco was astounded

“John? The man that travels with him? His husband?” Lara snickered, she couldn’t stop laughing

“For the love of God! Too much information! I was too distracted with the baby that I didn’t even notice that he introduced us to his husband. Is that the same John he wouldn’t shut up about?”

“Yup, the same John. Say hi for me, please? And congratulate them for the baby, and take photos!” Lara said as a goodbye.

“They had no idea about the girl” Marco looked at Guido

“Jacques almost fainted, he said he was going to call Paul to ask about it, and he said he would call Gustav and Daniel too. Did you know he was married?” Guido was struck dumb

“I just realised that he introduced his husband to us. Lara said not to tell the others; apparently he wants to surprise everybody” Marco sighed “Here they come. What was the plan?” Marco could see them exiting the lift; they were holding Bell’s hands and walking her out the lift.

“Drinks and food, but with the baby I guess just food”

“Where to?” Sherlock asked

 “We had planned a long night ahead, food, drinks and the files for the case we discussed. But I guess you keep a schedule with the baby, so we could just have something to eat, and then we can come back to the hotel and wait for her to fall asleep to have a drink and discuss the case”

“That sounds like a nice plan” John smiled at them “Let’s go loves!” He carried Bell and held Sherlock’s hand and pulled him to the hotel door. Guido and Marco followed close, still looking like a deer in headlights, trying their best to lead them to a restaurant near their hotel.

“I’m so glad to see you’re more than okay” Guido looked at Sherlock “I was so worried after you left. You looked so thin and sick. I remember calling Alec to tell him that you were sick still and he said that Number Four had called them already and that they should take care of you and take you to a doctor”

“Yes, they did that as soon as I arrived. They took me to a doctor and he did as asked. He checked the injury in my back and made sure that I was better and that my pneumonia was controlled” Sherlock was looking down, playing with Bell’s hands, but John knew better, he leaned into Sherlock’s shoulder and rubbed his hand

“I never worked so hard in my life, following you sure is one of the hardest jobs ever” Marco was smiling down at the baby, absolutely mesmerized by her “I read John’s blog and I really don’t know how he does it, chasing after you all the time, following you everywhere” Marco laughed

“Hard work, yes, but I love it” John smiled “He told me all about what happened here in Italy and I’m really thankful to you for being with him and taking care of him” 

“He’s the one that was taking care of us, all the time he was worried that we were okay, all the time he made sure that our identities were protected; he even was tortured to give our identities away, but he never said a word. Number Four told us everything that happened in Serbia” John shivered and squeezed Sherlock’s hand

“I know” John said “For a long time I wished I could be there with him, for him. But now that I’ve met you I’m grateful with all of you, thanks to you I was able to get him back” Sherlock kissed him softly and smiled at him.

“So?” Guido looked at them “The elephant in the room?” He looked at Bell

“Isabelle?” Sherlock raised an amused eyebrow

“And… John?” Marco looked at John. “When…?”

 The couple smiled and John nodded “We just got married October thirty first last year, but we were engaged for ten months…”

“Nine sweetie” John rolled his eyes smiling all the time

“Right, nine… Sorry dear…” Sherlock sighed dramatically “Nine months before we got married. I proposed during our anniversary and thankfully John said yes. Before my proposal we’d been dating for eleven months” He looked at John “just a month after Bell was born”

“Anniversary?” Marco did the calculation in his head and there was no way they could be celebrating any anniversary

“Yes, the anniversary of the day we met” John answered this time “Our daughter was born a few weeks before, her mother had already decided she wanted us to have her”

“That’s… amazing…” Marco was smiling; Sherlock seemed and looked happy, not the raggedy, haggard, desperate looking man he had met three years ago. He seemed peaceful even, less thin, rosier. He smiled easily and looked rested, this was definitely a new Sherlock, and John seemed like a nice man, just the man Sherlock had described all those years back, the man that had him head over heels, and fighting like a dog to keep him safe.   

“What are your plans?” Guido asked

“We’re planning on visiting the Ardeatine Caves and the Piazza di Pietra, after that the Pantheon and St. Peter’s Basilica. John wants to go to the Sistine Chapel and we’ll be going to Villa Borghese, Bell loves gardens and Villa Borghese has beautiful gardens, and the zoo is nearby if I’m not mistaken”

“Nice itinerary, but we do need some help with a murder case, and I was wondering if you could help us” Sherlock looked at John and John nodded. He knew Sherlock loved solving cases, but now that they had Bell they needed to be more careful

“Yes. Let’s go to our hotel and have a drink. We need to put Bell to bed and we have some rituals; you don’t mind waiting for an hour? You can wait in our suite”

“No problem. I’ve told Marina that I’ll be late, that I’m with you, by the way, she said that you should come to dinner with us and the kids” Guido was already standing from the table

“Yes, Sofia knows that I’ll be late too, and maybe we should have dinner the six of us, maybe my place?” Marco followed Guido

“Yeah, I think we can make it. But I think we should have lunch instead of dinner, I really don’t want to change Bell’s schedule, we are just implementing it and I would like to stablish it before changing it or making any exceptions just yet”

“Totally agree” John stood next to his husband and took his hand. They walked back to their hotel; Bell between them, walking hand in hand with her parents. Once they were in their room they gave Bell a bath and put her to bed. John read to her and once she was asleep he sat next to Sherlock and asked Guido to tell them all about the murders.

“The first murder was a few weeks ago. We found the body at Our Lady of the Angels and the Martyrs. The altar boy found him in the backyard. His body was facedown, as you can see in the photographs, his fingertips were removed with clippers and he looked as if he had been crucified. He had holes in his feet and palms, and a crown made with thorns” Sherlock was looking at the photographs. He could see some footprints approaching the body, and moving away from the body; the murderer must have climbed the grille and out the street, unfortunately they hadn’t looked at the bars so any evidence must be lost by now

“The second murder took place at Santa Maria in Aracoeli; the body was located between the two sets of stairs that go to the church and the palace. The body was placed in the same way, and had the same injuries, the only difference this time was that instead of a crown made of thorns, he had a crown made of barbwire and he had rusted nails in his hands. He was found by the parish after morning mass” The photographs revealed the same footsteps, the same size as the ones on the first crime scene.

“The third one happened just yesterday. The body was found at San Clemente al Laterano in the Altar of Mithras; the same way as the other bodies, but this one had his hands and feet pierced with rusty nails and his crown was made with rose thorns. He was found by a member of the restoration team; in this case we found a clear footprint…”

“Size ten, an injury to his left knee, weak ankles, bad arches, probably a limp. What I don’t see are footprint leaving the places of the murders. Although I don’t see a way out, I might have to go to the church and check it”

There is a way out, they are restoring the place and you can leave easily with the workers” Marco pointed at one of the photographs, and showing Sherlock one of the possible exists.

“Are the other churches being restored too?” John asked looking at the photographs and practically reading Sherlock’s mind about one of his many questions

“Not that we know of, although they are being restored all the time. Would you help?” They were out of their depth

“Yes. We’ll be visiting the last crime scene tomorrow, maybe I would be able to see something else, and as soon as I find something I’ll call you. In the meantime, keep an eye on a limping man, five eleven, maybe six two, between one eighty or two hundred pounds, according to his footprints. By the way, which order?”

“Franciscans”

“We’re probably looking for a Franciscan brother; he probably uses a cane, but now that I think about it, his limp probably isn’t as noticeable as we might think”

“I’ll do that. Thank you Sherlock, I’ll be waiting for your call. Goodnight guys” Guido said goodbye to them and left their room, Marco following close behind

“Have you figured it out?” John asked, looking at the photographs once more

“Maybe, but there is something I can’t put my finger on. They are supposed to be Franciscans, but the order usually wears black or dark brown tunics, and they shave their heads at the crown. Their founder, Francesco d’Assisi received stigmata in his hands and feet; and if I recall correctly on his side, but not his head, so the killer made a “historical” mistake. They usually have three knots at their cord, representing their vows, but all this men had four, meaning they had another vow. I’m missing something” Sherlock looked at the photographs again. “There is no blood at the crime scenes and according to the autopsy reports the cause of death was asphyxiation” Sherlock was going deep into his mind palace.    

“Let’s go to bed love. Maybe tomorrow you’ll be able to think more clearly” John rubbed his back and took the photographs from his hands; he pulled Sherlock close and kissed him. He made love to his Detective to help him clear his mind. The next morning, they left early, after Bell’s breakfast, to visit San Clemente. There Sherlock noticed several things, for example an easier way to exist without even being noticed. One of the passageways led directly to a corridor and to a set of stairs that lead to a newer part of the church.

John helped Sherlock explore and handed him the photographs. Sherlock noticed that one of the stone seats was stained with blood. He used his phone to take a photograph of the splatter and took a sample of it. It wasn’t a fingerprint, just a drop. They walked around the corridors and Sherlock noticed more blood drops. They couldn’t belong to the victim, but they might belong to the murderer; he took a few more samples and by the afternoon, he handed them to Guido and asked them to send them to the lab and determine the blood type.


	40. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson. February 28th (saved on drafts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A "little" case "brings" John to Rome to meet with his friend, the World's Only Consulting Detective, Sherlock Holmes. Here is the blog entrance, saved in drafts, until Sherlock approves it, not that John need his approval, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a legend about Miguel de Santiago; a painter in my country that supposedly killed a student to paint his “Cristo de la Agonía” (Christ of the Agony), because he wanted to portray the pain of the dying Christ perfectly; he supposedly pierced the man’s side with a spear while he was posing on a cross, once he was finished, he took the man down but he had already died. Also inspired on Umberto Eco’s “The name of the Rose” and his character George of Burgos, who wanted so desperately to keep the secret.

**The stigmatized Franciscans** (ask Sherlock if I should publish it)

Sherlock called me a few days ago and asked me to help him with a case in Rome. The local police was out of their depth with a series of murders that had them baffled, to say the least, and as a result of it, they called the only Consulting Detective capable of helping them.

To ensure Sherlock’s participation ~~like a triple murder wouldn’t do~~ it the leading DI in the case sent Sherlock the pictures of the crime scenes. Sherlock, being Sherlock, immediately noticed some details that of course, went unnoticed by the local police  and their forensic department, for example footprints over the grass in the first two crime scenes and blood stains on the third.

Going into Detective mode as soon as he landed in Rome, Sherlock started with his brilliant deductions. According to Sherlock, the killer was 5.11 or 6.2, between 180 and 200 pounds, had a limp to his left leg caused by a knee injury, but it wasn’t as noticeable as it should be; Sherlock also realised that the murderer might be either a historian or an art historian, working with the restoration teams, probably as a specialist or consultant of some sorts, with free access to the locations.

Thanks to ~~our daughter that was playing with the crime scene photographs~~ a specialist’s tip; Sherlock discovered a particular pattern that allowed him to identify the orders to which the clergymen belonged. According to the local DI, all the victims were Franciscans, though upon further investigation Sherlock realised that even though they were Franciscans of the first order, they each represented a different branch, the first victim was a cloister member, his habit was grey, and he was observing another vow. The second one was a member of the minor friars’ order; he was wearing a dark brown robe, and one little detail was different from the first one, he had a scapular tied on his left wrist. The third one belonged to the capuchin order, and rosary beads hung from his neck, his robe was brown too, though the fabric, as Sherlock pointed, was more expensive than the others.

Identifying the differences between fabrics gave Sherlock the lead about the murderer’s possible profession. He had to know the history behind the order, the fabrics and accessories they’d be wearing, amongst other things. Another clue was that he had to know the history about the order’s founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, because of the injuries the victims had sustained. All the victims appeared to be stigmatised, much like Saint Francis, except for one “historical” mistake that Sherlock pointed, Saint Francis never presented a stigmata on his head. Another think that Sherlock took into account was the fact the crime scenes were staged, there was no blood in any of them, the victims were killed somewhere else and then placed at these churches.  They showed signs of torture, they were killed after their fingertips were ripped off, their hands and feet nailed to a wooden cross and crowned with thorns or barb wire.

The victims showed clear signs of asphyxiation; some investigations indicate that being placed in a cross, hanging only from their arms for several hours could have made them loss consciousness from lack of oxygen, losing blood from their hands and feet injuries. Their arms were dislocated from maintaining the same position for long hours, hands and feet fractured by the use of a hammer and the nails, including the exertion caused by their body weight to their arms and feet, must have taken about ten to fourteen hours to die, including a probable fat embolism for the injuries sustained in their femurs produced by a blunt force trauma that dislocated their hips and fractured their long bones, thus producing an embolism.

After two days of thinking hard, playing his violin at odd hours, ~~waking the baby up, bloody bastard!~~ not eating and barely sleeping, Sherlock realised that what he was missing from the beginning was their presence there; there was no reason for three Franciscans to be at either of those churches. Once they identified the victims, their presence at those churches wasn’t justified. They were travellers, visiting Rome, they were old men, between 50 and 70, and they all had vowed silence. According to their brothers, they had recently taken on the vow, and evidence shown that they hadn’t met each other at any point; the only thing they had on common was that they belonged to the same order.

Upon further investigation, their professions became of capital importance, they were historians, and they had vowed silence because of their investigations, they were not supposed to talk about their recent discoveries about Saint Claire of Assisi. Most investigations must be kept secret; nevertheless, the brothers are able to share the information with their superiors, unless what they find might signify a great disturbance to the historic facts that construct the beliefs on which their faith rests upon. The reason behind them being in Rome, besides visiting and investigating at the Vatican Library; was to meet each other and discuss their findings, but their meeting was obviously delayed by the first murder, and the two other brothers had no idea they were in imminent danger.       

The murderer, a Franciscan brother that retired the clerical life after he was injured during a protest in Egypt, was working as a consultant art historian with the church at San Clemente al Laterano; he was helping with the repairs and restoration of the church. He had found out about the ongoing investigation about Saint Clare because the first victim was visiting the church and he started talking about a particular painting; being a Franciscan himself, the murderer asked about the secret vow and chastised his brother about not fulfilling it, but in the meantime, finding about the ongoing investigation.

The lead that helped Sherlock find him was visiting the Vatican Library; ~~I had never been at such a nice place, and Sherlock was marvelled too, all the books, manuscripts and archives. Sherlock was like a kid in a candy shop, pointing at everything and calling me to look at all the books and manuscripts; he surprised me once again with his immense knowledge about the seemingly most trivial of things, for example the change in characters that signifies the change in times and meanings; and his ability to read ancient manuscripts. He looked so gorgeous fluttering about the library.~~ as a fellow brother he had to sign the visitors log and he had used his church credentials, and after gathering enough information from the first victim, he was able to find the names of the other brothers, when will they be coming, where would they be staying and other facts.

We planned a stake out and followed the murderer from the library to the church; it was actually exhilarating, it’s been so long since we had an all-night stake out with Sherlock, ever since ~~France~~ … I can’t even remember, with him travelling and me back in London it’s hard to keep up with The Work. ~~Sherlock was desperate to go back to the hotel to be with Bell, but we managed…~~ Once the murderer arrived to his quarters, Sherlock decided to follow him in and stage, as he usually does, an act; I don’t know from where he got a Franciscan robe and decided to visit his “fellow” brother and introduce himself as his new intern. ~~He looked so cute in the robe! But made me feel quite uncomfortable when he kissed me before getting out of the car...~~ The murderer let him in and Sherlock, with his keen eyes, swept over the small quarters and found where the victims were killed and crucified, he found specks of blood on the walls and curtains.

He texted me and we waited for the local police to arrive to made an arrest; once the local DI arrived; Sherlock handed him all the evidence needed to convict the murderer; he had also stolen the documents related to the ongoing investigation and his plan was to publish it under a pseudonym; according to his confession, he was ready to break his poverty vow, and church secrets usually sell pretty well. When Sherlock asked him why he had tortured his brothers the way he did, he said that it seem fit to him to punish their vanity and disobedience in an exemplary way; a true Franciscan way. When Sherlock asked him about the locations, all the man could say was that they needed to be redeemed, and that that could only be achieved on sacred soil, meaning a church

After the case was finished, Sherlock was praised by the local police, there might be a few interviews about it, and also some local gossip about us, but I don’t worry anymore, as Sherlock usually say whenever I say people may talk, they usually do little else… It was nice going on a case like this again, and as always, he was brilliant and solved it in less than seventy two hours, giving him enough time to show me the town for a while before my departure.


	41. Rome, the aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sometimes I’m grateful you’re a machine while you work..." For once John was truly grateful for Sherlock’s coldness, it was easier to see things as data, not as faces, names, ages, men, women, children… Finally, he understood why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, love the comments... Hope you're enjoying this fic... LYA... AFG

Once the case was solved, thanks to Bell and John; Sherlock fulfilled his promise and took John to the Sistine Chapel, still feeling all the excitement about the case and being able to visit the Vatican Library. At the Sistine Chapel, John was absolutely amazed, he couldn’t take his eyes out of the ceiling and kept on showing Sherlock everything, he even lay on the floor for a while and enjoyed the view. Sherlock was looking at John all the time, feeling utterly happy to being able to give John such happy moments.  

Sherlock took John to the Ardeatine Caves and told him the story behind them, all about the Nazi massacre and the people that died that day. “Three hundred and thirty five men, ten for each police men that died during the partisan attack” Sherlock told a shocked John. He also told him about the days he spent at the caves, talking to people, and practicing his Italian “It took me the train ride to learn all the Italian I needed, it’s quite basic now that I think about it, though it sounds nicer than other languages” Sherlock told a wide eyed John “I think I should teach Bell some Italian words, basic ones like how to introduce herself and ask for basic information” Sherlock was holding his daughter and carrying her on his hip while he talked

“I think we should wait for her to learn how to communicate correctly in English first and then we can discuss her learning other languages” John smiled

“I had learnt as much French as possible by the time I was four, John. The earlier we start the better” He nuzzled Bell

“Yes dear” John sighed and kept on walking “So, this caves…” John decided it was best to change the subject “Did you sleep here? How long?”

“I was here for five days, I really didn’t sleep much, the police is always walking around here and there are many tourists during the early hours of the day, but I tried, I had to stay hidden and create my own information network. It wasn’t as easy as it was in Paris and Germany, but it wasn’t that difficult either. A few of my Italian homeless network helped me identifying many of the dealers. One of them looked like Moriarty’s men and I followed him to one of the many caves around Rome. I hid under the Coliseum for two nights, but that was before I was stabbed”

They left the caves and Sherlock drove to the Piazza di Pietra, they played with Bell for a while, but Sherlock kept looking at John and his horror face when Sherlock showed him behind which column he was hiding. They held each other for a while, as they always did after Sherlock told John all about his “adventures”. Sherlock kept on kissing and holding John and John kept on touching Sherlock, holding hands, feeling his pulse, making sure he was there. The only thing Sherlock could ask was for John not to have any nightmares that night. Italy had been easy, but hard at the same time. He could have stayed, but he chose to keep fighting.

After their visit to the Piazza, they went to the Pantheon; John seemed more relaxed and got lost with the architecture. They had just enough time to go to St. Peter’s Basilica before Bell’s bed time. Once they arrived to their hotel, Sherlock made sure that John was alright, he ordered some food and prepared a bath for them right after Bell fell asleep.

“Talk to me, please?” Sherlock held John close and massaged his tense shoulders

“It was scary going with you to those caves today” John shuddered

“I’m sorry” Sherlock kissed John’s neck and tried to be as comforting as possible

“Not your fault that some nutters killed that many people so cruelly” John closed his eyes and leaned on Sherlock “I was reading some more about it, and I can’t believe they massacred them in such an awful way, and that the culprits didn’t pay for what they did” John was shivering, Sherlock had seen him worried and concerned, even shocked, but not in this way “I must confess I’ve never liked history, much less war history. Sure I’m an adrenaline junkie but I’m certain that no one in their right mind would kill people just out of pleasure or revenge… nutters…” Sherlock was taken aback by John’s confession. It wasn’t the first time John had said he was worried about the victims, his inner doctor made him more… humane, but his reaction to the history of the place made him more than humane, made him extraordinary, and to Sherlock that was quite a discovery

“I…” Sherlock’s voice was strained, filled with emotion “I love you, John” there was nothing left to say. John turned slowly and could see Sherlock was affected by his words. He kissed him softly and ran his fingers over Sherlock’s damped curls, soothing him.

“I used to worry about you and your cold and detached demeanour” John locked gazes with Sherlock “but now I understand, you need to act cold and distant, because of all the things you know” He kissed him “Knowing as many things as you do must be quite a burden, besides, not being able to truly forget must be difficult too. I can’t imagine you being there, walking around those caves, and above all, being able to feel, to remember, to know…” John caressed his back “Sometimes I’m grateful you’re a machine while you work, or else, you’ll be more affected than I am” For once John was truly grateful for Sherlock’s coldness, it was easier to see things as data, not as faces, names, ages, men, women, children… Finally, he understood why “Sometimes I’m grateful you’re a machine while you work,

As every night, they made sweet love, quietly, avoiding waking up their sleeping baby and the next morning they left early to visit Villa Borghese. Bell laughed and ran around the gardens and vineyards. Her parents following her closely, she followed the bees and the butterflies. As to give their daughter a more fulfilling experience, Sherlock drove his family to the Rome Zoo. Their visit to the Bioparco was an exciting one. It was the first time they visited a zoo with Bell and the little girl was excited about all the animals.

Bell squealed and giggled, pointing at everything, apparently she fell in love with tigers, she was mesmerized with the animal and kept calling them “kitty love” (everything she liked had the word love related to it… including Mycof love…) Lions didn’t seem to have the same impact on her, so John and Sherlock stood by her for almost an hour while she watched the tigers not move, nor play, not even blink. After a while (normal) she grew bored and they kept on walking around the park, visiting the rest of the encasements. Another animal that fascinated her was the owl, she pointed happily to a snow owl and wanted to grab it, fortunately for her parents, there was no way she could get it, even though she tried by every mean possible. In the end, they had to buy a tiger and an owl for her daughter, basically spoiling her rotten.

They arrived to their hotel right in time for Bell’s bedtime. She was exhausted after running and playing the whole day. Sherlock called for a nanny to keep an eye on the baby and took John out on a date, It was their last night in Rome and he wanted it to be special, the next day, after lunch with their friends they’ll be leaving to Naples. Sherlock took John to a posh restaurant, close to the Fontana di Trevi, they ate and walked for a couple of hours, enjoying some alone time. They were back to their hotel before midnight, exhausted after their day. As previously planned, they left their hotel in the early hours; Sherlock treated John with one last visit to the Museum of the History of Medicine and simply enjoyed John’s lecture about medicine and medical instruments.

By noon, they arrived to Marco’s place and enjoyed an uneventful lunch; Sofia and Marina where waiting for them, and they both were glad to see Sherlock as healthy as he looked.

“You had me really worried, mister” Marina chastised Sherlock “Guido said you disappeared after Belarus” She was holding him still “I’m so glad you’re okay” She kissed him on both cheeks “And you must be John. And this little beauty must be Isabelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you” Marina hugged John and Isabelle

“I’m fine Marina, I’m better than fine, actually” Sherlock smiled and hugged John and Isabelle close “She’s used to feed me every other day, she would yell at me if I didn’t ate everything I had in my plate, she used to give me all kinds of pasta, saying that pasta was the only food I needed to keep me on my feet”

“Thank you” John hugged Marina, he became more grateful and less resentful with each passing day, this people had kept Sherlock alive

“It was nothing, he did wonders for my husband, and he was always there and made Guido’s work much easier” A little girl approached Marina and asked her something pointing at Isabelle “Is it okay if Rosa plays with Isabelle?”

“Sure” John sat Isabelle on the ground and the baby was soon distracted with a bunch of plush toys and Rosa’s giggles, soon other children, around the same age as Rosa came around and played with Isabelle, the latter being the centre of attention.

They shared a long lunch, stories, pasta and wine were shared, Marina always with a watchful eye over Sherlock to see him eat, but it wasn’t necessary, his doctor was there to keep an eye on him. Sofia, always more shy, looked at the couple with happy eyes, she was grateful to Sherlock for keeping Marco safe, for not involving him with the investigations about the Italian families, but she couldn’t say a thing about the issue, Number Four made her swear not to tell, even Sherlock, that she was another agent.

“Time for the awkward questions” Marina looked at them with mischievous eyes “How did you finally end up together? Sherlock here just dreamt about you every night, but he never shared much, and all we know about the two of you is related to work and your blog”

“Well…” John flushed “I came back home after I got divorced, right after Bell was born” Sherlock squeezed his hand and shook his head slightly

“Before his divorce we talked about a lot of things and we decided it was best to be together, we couldn’t deny it anymore” Sherlock lied easily, though there were parts that were true “We had denied it for so long that at some point it wasn’t worth it anymore. His ex-wife helped us be together in the end” John was amazed by the way Sherlock lied, and in the meantime protected him, Mary and Isabelle

“And you got married soon after that? Guido said that you waited less than a year to get married” Marina was really curious

“Yes and no, we actually waited for over six years to be together, the only logical step after waiting for so long was making it official, I would have proposed the very same day he came back home, but we needed to fix some things first, we allowed each other some time to get comfortable with the idea of sharing more than just a flat” ‘That’s not at all what happened’ John thought and blushed remembering their first kiss and their first night together

“Awww” Marina awed and looked at John “You guys are so sweet!”

“Yeah” Sherlock was prepared to give a full show and kissed John tenderly on the lips making him blush even more “we waited” he grinned and deepened the kiss getting a surprised gasp from John and a lot of whistles and “aws” from the small crowd

“Something I could have never prepared myself to witness in my entire life” Marco said “Sherlock Holmes being affectionate” He laughed and made the rest of the table laugh as hard as him

“I can be very affectionate” Sherlock pouted, and John seized the opportunity to make the detective blush “Oh baby” he used a term of endearment they would never use under any circumstances “Don’t pout, cutie” John grinned mischievously and bit Sherlock’s lip. The detective was almost purple, his ears and neck as red as an apple

“You’re in serious trouble, Doctor Watson” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear before groping him under the table. “Valentine’s Day” Sherlock said to his ear and John just stopped teasing him, the scene at the restaurant still clear in his mind

“You okay John?” Guido asked, surprised by John’s reaction

John just nodded and sat quietly away from Sherlock

“Okay…” Guido kept looking at them, John’s behaviour towards Sherlock changed completely and they didn’t even held hands.  They chatted for a while about nothing in particular, until Sherlock reached for John’s hand again and kissed it; John leaned into Sherlock’s shoulder and kissed his cheek, all was forgotten.    

By four in the afternoon Sherlock decided it was time to leave “We have a long trip ahead, two hours driving, and I would like to be in Naples before seven”

“Can’t you stay another day?” Sofia asked

“I’d love too, but I have people waiting for me in Sicily, and I’d really like to see them the day we agreed to meet, I’ve already changed my schedule twice, and they are growing quite impatient” He winked at Sofia, before leaning to kiss her cheek “Thank you for keeping me safe, call Number Four and tell her we’re fine” he whispered for her ears only “Bye birdie” Sherlock hugged her.

“Nice to meet you all” John hugged each one of them and eyed Sherlock with certain suspicion when he hugged Sofia, and of course, Sherlock being Sherlock just winked at him and said “In the car”

“Oh, speaking of car” Guido was walking them to it “Marco said to let us know when you take the boat to Greece so we can send someone for the car and drive it back to Paris; Jacques said they have the Mercedes there, after the news about you solving a crime here in Rome they kept on looking for the Mercedes”

“Thank you Guido, I’ll let you know, but if all goes as planned, which never does, I guess I’ll be leaving the car in Palermo by the twelfth, I’ll text you the details”

“Sure Sherlock; thanks for coming, and in bocca al lupo” Guido hugged him one last time “I really hope we can see you soon” Unlike last time, Guido wasn’t worried to see Sherlock go; he was in the right hands.         ~~~~


	42. A visit to the “family”. March 1st to March 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrived to Naples at twenty past six. Their room, as always, was ready, and the people at the hotel Sherlock had chosen recognised him immediately, and that evening they shared a dinner with a member of one of the many “families” Sherlock had helped. The dinner was uneventful, though the security levels were out of the charts in order to protect his family. Mycroft’s bird notified the other secret agents about their activities and they were protected not only by Mycroft’s security, but by the families’ security

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading. LYA!!

They arrived to Naples at twenty past six. Their room, as always, was ready, and the people at the hotel Sherlock had chosen recognised him immediately, and that evening they shared a dinner with a member of one of the many “families” Sherlock had helped. The dinner was uneventful, though the security levels were out of the charts in order to protect his family. Mycroft’s bird notified the other secret agents about their activities and they were protected not only by Mycroft’s security, but by the families’ security

After dinner they went back to their hotel to put Bell to bed, a quick bath and a quick song played by her father and she was fast asleep. John took his time getting ready for bed, he had to think about the day’s events and he was actually a bit concerned about Sherlock’s connections

“Love?” John caught Sherlock’s attentions after lying for a while next to him in bed

“Yes?” Sherlock propped his head up on his hand

“Are we safe?” Sherlock could see John’s concern in his eyes, he was scared and intimidated

“Yes” Sherlock answered “Of course we are, we have enough condoms to pave our way back to London” Sherlock smiled and put a finger over John’s mouth “By the way, we have four beautiful birds waiting for us, when we leave Italy, and they gave us a Fi. Besides, Queenie has planted several roses in the garden so we can have as many birds as needed, and we can have some bees too, provided by the very nice Italian gardens” Sherlock was being very cryptic, but John knew he must have had some reason not to talk about it, not in the car nor in their hotel room “Tomorrow we’ll visit Pompeii and I can show you some pictures of the birds that Queenie has bought for us” Sherlock kissed John’s nose and held him close whispering in his ear “Mycroft called me while we were at the petrol station, something about white noise. He said he had send some more birds for us, at least four, and Sofia, Marco’s wife is one of them; she made sure we were safe during the case and she controlled the press. Don’t worry love, I’m not going to cross this people, I’ll keep us safe. The dinner today was to show off, but we are safe, I haven’t talked about them to anyone, even though Mycroft knows all about them, so they are confident that I’m loyal to them, but they have also given us some birds” Sherlock kissed John’s ear and could feel his Doctor relax in his arms.

“Pompeii tomorrow… I’m really excited! You think Bell would like it?”

“I’m sure she’ll love it” Sherlock kissed John’s neck repeatedly; he was getting frisky

“Sherlock” John moaned

“Fast or slow?” Sherlock asked getting rid of John’s shirt and pyjama bottoms

“Both” John was breathless

“Twice?” He kicked his own pyjama bottoms off the bed

“As many times as you want” John pulled Sherlock for a deep kiss while Sherlock worked him, he squirmed and moaned, keeping in mind that Bell was in the other room sleeping in her cot.

“I think we could be just a little loud” Sherlock husked and John nodded; he could feel Sherlock’s urgency between his legs and braced himself for what was coming. He could feel Sherlock in every pore and every crevice of his body. The moment Sherlock entered him, John was already so aroused that the first hit to his prostate practically pushed him to the edge, but he maintained enough sanity to contain himself for a few more moments

“Fast” John begged and Sherlock complied, in less than ten minutes John was gone and done, and Sherlock followed suit with a few more thrusts into John. After they recovered their breaths, Sherlock decided to take things slow; he waited for John to recuperate, brought some water to him and cleaned him thoroughly. He settled next to him in bed and worked his way again, slowly, until John was putty in his hand and was begging again for him. Sherlock took his time, slowly, thoroughly, until John was completely spent and sated, his eyes so heavy that he could barely keep them open for his own sake.

With what he assumed were the first lights of the morning, he could hear Sherlock talking to Bell in French, and he could hear Bell giggle and gurgle contently trying to repeat what his father was saying. He clearly heard the sound of a cart being pushed to their room and was grateful for the smell of food; his stomach growled and he could feel Sherlock’s lips on his shoulder, coming up to the nape of his neck and slowly climbing up to his ear “Good morning sleeping beauty” Sherlock’s deep voice greeted him; John’s eyes fluttered open and as every morning, he got lost in the deep greenish-bluish in front of him “You’ve slept for almost nine hours love. How are you feeling?”

“Great! Never better. I don’t think I have ever slept that many hours. What time’s it?” John rubbed his eyes and lunched forward to grab a toast

“Almost ten; Bell had breakfast, and we went for a walk, she also had her snack already, and now we’re just waiting for you to get ready so we can visit Pompeii” He played with John’s fingers with one hand and with Bell’s curls with the other

“I’ll be ready in fifteen my love” John got off the bed and leaned in to kiss Bell’s head and Sherlock’s lips. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to Pompeii.

As soon as they arrived, Sherlock took his family to visit the ruins and the old town. John, as always, was impressed with the frescos and the quarters. While they were walking around the quarters with Bell, Sherlock explained to John all about the security that was following them. A few photographs taken with Sherlock’s mobile were enough to show John all the people that were following them. Four guys pretending to be tourists and another three looking very Italian. Sherlock turned his phone off and so did John “They are listening to us most of the time, thankfully Mycroft turns the mics overnight, as soon as we… well…”

“Leave it at that love, I don’t care, I’m already used to it” John sighed and decided to give an act, kissing his husband and holding his daughter close “Where to next?”

“Lunch, then we keep on touring and I think we can spend a day at Sorrento” They shared a quick lunch, and walked along the entire lost city. They arrived to Sorrento before night fall and stayed the night, taking the next day to explore the beautiful beach town; deciding to stay another day before returning to Naples in the afternoon hours.

The next two days they visited Capri before leaving to Palermo. They made three stops on the way; Castrovillari for Bell’s snack, Cosenza for lunch and Mesina for one last snack. After a ten hours drive, they arrived to Palermo and decided to call it the night. Even with all the stops they made, Bell was annoyed and tired, bored out of her mind. Sherlock had to play for her and John had to read until she calmed down. The only thing that soothed her was staying with her parents all night, at their bed; no matter how many times they tried to move her she cried and clung to them.

After a long night thanks to Bell, they decided to stay in and rest; they both were having pain due to their respective injuries, and a day off seemed the most prudent thing to do. By dinner time, they had “hired” a nanny for Bell and went to their date with “The Family”. John was nervous and unsure about their birds being able to assist in case some sort of problem presented, but Sherlock assured him that all was arranged and that he should relax and try to enjoy the evening. Mycroft’s birds made sure that they were watched all the time, and Sherlock, in his perfect Italian, let the _Cappi_ know that they were being followed by their own security, it was best not to keep secrets with this people; just in case.

The dinner was uneventful, no “work” issues were discussed, at least, not “family” related. They talked about Sherlock’s work and John’s blog, getting every detail about their adventures and how they met. The true nature about their relationship transpired to the family based solely in the matching wedding bands they were wearing, but being a discrete lot, they assumed it was best not to ask and keep discussing about adventures and cases, Sherlock’s techniques and John’s help; and how much faster everything would have gone if he had been there.

Their days in Italy were coming to an end, but before that happened, Sherlock decided to treat his husband, the way he always did, for the best experiences they were able to live, especially now that they had a daughter. As planned by the detective, they visited Marsala and stayed at the beach for a couple of days. They played with Bell at the beach and enjoyed the first hot days in months since they departed from England. John’s memory cards were now filled with photographs of Bell with them, the landscape and Sherlock.

“Are you removing your shirt?” Sherlock glanced at John who was sitting comfortably at one of the beach chairs, looking at Bell play with the sand

“I don’t think so love. I don’t feel comfortable” John grimaced, as if he were in pain.

“Maybe some other time” Sherlock mumbled, knowing exactly what John was feeling. His trip to Greece could become an uncomfortable one; mostly because of their respective scars “Greece has a lot of beaches” Sherlock looked down, he felt guilty

“Don’t worry about it, we can still have fun” John said and kicked some sand to Sherlock’s feet

“That’s how you want to play?” Sherlock laughed and dragged John to the water, keeping a watchful eye on Bell.

“SHERLOCK!” John shouted but he was laughing. As soon as he left the water he ran after the detective and pushed him in the water.

Both dripping wet went to get Bell and walked with her to the sea shore; the water was warmer than the overall climate. They pushed each other and splashed water all over. After a while, growing tired and hungry; they left the beach in search of lunch and a place to rest before returning to their hotel.

Their last day at Palermo, one of Mycroft’s birds approached them with an envelope containing a bunch of keys and some documents that Mycroft thought they might need in Greece. A plane was waiting for them at Palermo’s airport and everything was planned for their arrival to Athens.


	43. Athens. March 12th to March 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as they arrived, Mycroft was waiting for them at their room, taking care of Bell  
> “Brother?” Sherlock gaped  
> “Bother” Mycroft smiled at them, he was holding a sleeping Bell in his arms, and looked completely different  
> “How… Why?” The always articulate Sherlock Holmes was speechless...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit long... Hope you enjoy it

Their trip to Greece was less extenuating than John had imagined; instead of the expected long travel by boat, they arrived promptly, four hours later, with a relaxed baby, fully rested, and not a worry about their trip. As soon as the arrivals’ doors opened, Sherlock could see his Greek saviours.

Alec and Catalina were holding a rather big banner with an equally large “MR. H” written on it with black bold letters. As soon as Sherlock saw them, he handed Bell to John, before busying himself with the cart with their stuff. “Those are Catalina and Alec” Sherlock pointed at the couple with the huge banner “Please don’t get jealous love” Sherlock kissed John “She likes me the same way Daniel does, but as I said before, nothing happened”

“Don’t worry about it, love” John kissed him back “Go ahead and greet them, I’ll get the cart and Bell. I’ll catch up” He pinched Sherlock’s buttock and sent him his way.

Sherlock waved at them and walked over to greet them properly and as soon as Catalina had him close she ran to him and jumped to his arms, holding him close and kissing him everywhere she could, avoiding the lips… fortunately. Sherlock laughed and put her down before greeting Alec with a hug. Catalina pulled him close into another hug and was looking for his bags when John appeared at Sherlock’s side carrying Bell and followed by a guy pushing their cart; and as if on cue, John gave Sherlock a proper snog, making the Detective chuckle and having him pulling him close to kiss him better, knowing perfectly the effect it would have in both his friends.

Catalina’s face fell to the floor, her face white as a blanket and her eyes gauging out of their sockets. She could feel some tears threatening to fall and hid her face behind the banner. Alec was a silent spectator to the strange, yet endearing, demonstration of affection between the two men, he was agape, unable to think or talk, much less comfort his obviously distressed friend. Sherlock Holmes and his trail of broken hearts had reached new lengths in Greece

“So…” Alec cleared his throat “Number Four never said anything” He sounded surprised and his eyes flickered between Sherlock, John and Bell

“Sorry… right” Sherlock looked at Alec breaking eye contact with John “This is John, my husband, and this here…” Sherlock grabbed Bell “…is Bell, our daughter” Alec’s mouth fell open and stared with increasing incredulity at the two men holding the little girl.

“Sherlock just said sorry” Alec looked as if he was witnessing a murder happening or something of sorts. “Sherlock just said sorry” he repeated, not knowing what else to say. He pulled his phone out and called Marco, not even bothering to say hello he just repeated, once again “Sherlock just said sorry”

“So you’ve met his husband and their daughter” Marco’s laughter could be heard from miles “don’t worry mate, we’re as shocked as you are, by the way, take pictures and send them to the net, Lara insisted, but please don’t alert the others, Sherlock wants to surprise everyone” Marco laughed even harder    

“Sherlock just said sorry” Alec was holding his mobile, not even listening to what Marco was saying. Sherlock stepped closer and pulled the phone from Alec’s grip.

“Sherlock here” Sherlock greeted

“Marco. How was the trip, how’s the family?”

“Doing great. The car?”

“Left Palermo as soon as you did; will be at Paris by the end of the week. By the way, the Mercedes is at the airport, got the keys?”

“Yes, got them. Thanks”

“Sure mate. Greetings from all. We’ll be watching you. Bye”

“Bye Marco, thanks” Sherlock smiled at the phone and finished the call before returning it to his owner.

“Love?” John called “I think they need water or something, she’s a sobbing mess and he looks as if he’s about to faint” John was worried and was soon kneeling next to Catalina, doctor mode on

“And you think I’m a Drama Queen” Sherlock smiled and shook Alec softly with his free hand, the other holding Bell tightly “Alec, breathe” Sherlock shook his friend again, a bit forcefully this time.

“You said sorry!” Alec looked at Sherlock, still gobsmacked “You look good mate! How are you?” Alec reacted and hugged Sherlock in a tight hug, squeezing him.

“I’m great, thank you” Sherlock smiled, his smile easier and more sincere since John said yes “How about you?” He was being friendly and kept on surprising Alec

“Fine, just fine… Surprised… The last time I saw you...” Alec shivered and looked down

“I know, but we can talk about that some other time. Now I want to go back to the hotel and put Bell to bed” Sherlock looked at the baby

“Yes… Sorry” Alec grabbed Catalina by the arm and began walking, followed by the couple and their luggage.

As soon as they located the car, John helped Sherlock with Bell and put her in the car seat that Mycroft bought specially for her. Amongst other treats, they had a brand new buggy and more baby stuff; considering they left everything back in Italy, following Mycroft’s recommendation to always travel as light as possible.

Alec and Catalina waited for them to drive away before following the couple to their hotel. As always, their room at the Royal Olympic was as beautiful as advertised, and ready for the family, though Sherlock wondered how much had it really cost to have one bed instead of two, knowing that in Greece, even though gay people was accepted, and civil unions were authorized, they still needed some adjustment. From their suite they could see the Temple of Zeus and the Gardens; the view was more than perfect and John decided they should share their first night in Greece dinning at their small terrace. John was thankful to see that Bell’s cot was strategically placed at the small living room, close enough for any of them to check on her.

After they checked the room, Sherlock apologised to his friends and claimed exhaustion, agreeing to see them before they left Athens. Alec nodded and had to drag Catalina out of the room before she started crying again. She had barely spoken and looked like a widow.

Following their ritual, they bathed Bell and put her to bed after her dinner, some Napolitan pasta the same way Daddy Sher love likes. She was soon asleep after one song from daddy’s violin. John ordered some food for them and they shared a nice candlelight dinner before taking their business to the huge bathtub and subsequently to the bed. They didn’t talk about anything, just how beautiful everything looked and their plans for the next few days. Sherlock also told John that any PDA should be slightly restricted to hand holding, just in case. John agreed, he had to, but it didn’t mean he was amenable to the idea, even though Greece had recently accepted the civil unions, they had to be careful; after a long discussion they decided that their first stop in Athens would be the Parthenon

The next morning, after a wonderful and fulfilling breakfast, Sherlock took his family to the Parthenon as planned. While they walked over the monument Sherlock could notice that John was acting a bit strange and he knew that it was because of how Catalina had acted. Sure, a jealous John was sort of cute, but a silent John was dangerous

“Love?” Sherlock took John’s hand carefully in his and John allowed it

“Are you going to tell me what happened in Greece before your friends do?” John wasn’t angry, but he was annoyed, he remembered perfectly Alec and Catalina’s reaction.

“Of course John; I just wanted for us to enjoy the views before going to the gardens to let Bell play while we have our talk” Sherlock tried to smile

“I’m sorry love. I’m sorry” John realised what he had done “It’s just that I look at all the places you could have use to hide and…” his bottom lip quivered and he bit it

“No, please my love” Sherlock left his impulse act and hugged him “I’ll show you everything, the same way I’ve been doing everywhere. Unlike in France and Germany, or even Italy, here I had to sleep on the streets amongst other homeless people. There are some shelters, but it’s not easy to get a bed, though I was able to shower often”

“The street?” John was astounded “You had to sleep on the street?”

“Yes. The police used to keep the homeless away from the tourists sites, and the KYADA foundation provided food to the other homeless twice a day. I choose not to abuse of their food because Alec and Catalina were helping me but I think we should make a donation, after all, those people saved my life”

“I’d like to go to the street where you had to sleep” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “And then to this place you could have slept”   

“It’s a hostel, and I wasn’t about to leave a person bed-less because of me and my work”

“I know, love. I know. Show me?”

“Yes. But first you need to know what happened”

“Okay, lead the way”

Sherlock gave John a tour of the Parthenon and explained, as the teacher he should be, every little detail about the architecture and the history of the place. John was sure that after the trip Sherlock would just delete most of the information he had learned, but listening to Sherlock speak with such property and knowledge proved to be as exciting as listening to him deduce a crime scene.

After the Parthenon, they went to a café and gave Bell her morning snack. While she ate, John looked at Sherlock and shook his head; he didn’t want Bell to hear any of their conversation. They went to the Acropolis museum and after their lunch, they continued walking around the many exhibit rooms at the museum. By the time of Bell’s afternoon snack, they ended up at the temple of Zeus, where John was, once again, amazed by Sherlock’s knowledge about everything. Less than an hour later, they walked to the Royal Gardens and found a quiet little spot for them to let Bell run and play for them to sit and watch her close as they talked.

“I arrived to Greece by water. I left Florence and took a boat from Lecce. The train ride took me almost twelve hours and I arrived to Athens a day later. I actually enjoyed the trip because I was able to plan and sleep, and eat. My mind was tired and so was my body; but after being in Italy, and being able to recuperate enough; it was easier to keep going” Sherlock, as always, was holding John’s hand, moving his thumb softly over John’s knuckles and making sure that John could feel his pulse. Every reaction was important, and Sherlock scanned John’s face searching any sign of pain or discomfort

“I’m okay, love. Please keep talking” Sherlock nodded and cleared his throat before continuing his story.

“By the time I arrived to Piraeus Port, Alec and Catalina were waiting for me. They took me to a doctor immediately, as ordered and I was sent to a hospital for malnutrition, they kept me there overnight but I needed to leave in order to keep my track hot” John sighed but squeezed Sherlock’s hand as a signal for him to continue “As soon as I left the hospital I decided to create a homeless network and went to Pireos Street, where the KYADA Provision Centre is located. Most of the homeless decided to help me, I must have looked desperate to them” Sherlock closed his eyes and remembered the day he arrived exactly.

“At the centre they also helped me locate some of the substance users, and they were my best asset. They gave me names and addresses in exchange of food and clothes. At first they saw me as a volunteer, bringing them clothes, food and money, and then they received me as one of them and protected me as such. One of them, Costas, died for me” Sherlock shuddered and John held him close; Bell climbed to his lap and hugged her daddy Sher comforting him. A few minutes passed while the family held each other before Sherlock decided it was best to go back to their hotel. They called a “nanny” for Bell after the baby fell asleep and Sherlock took John to a bar where they could listen to some music and share a few drinks. Sherlock wanted to be alone with John, but a bar wasn’t exactly a place where they could be “alone”.

“I wanted to be alone with you, but…” He played with his glass of wine

 “I know…” John looked at Sherlock and tried to smile “Just one drink and then we can talk at the hotel, I don’t feel really comfortable” Sherlock nodded and took a large swig of his recently served wine. John followed the example; they paid for their drinks and left the place. Never mind Bell, they could be alone with her.

As soon as they arrived, Mycroft was waiting for them at their room, taking care of Bell

“Brother?” Sherlock gaped

“Bother” Mycroft smiled at them, he was holding a sleeping Bell in his arms, and looked completely different

“How… Why?” The always articulate Sherlock Holmes was speechless...

“Mummy wants to meet her, and wanted to give you a surprise. She’ll be here tomorrow morning with Father and we all be leaving to Santorini on the day you have planned; she said that you need time as a couple and that she’ll be more than happy to take care of little Bell for a couple of days” Mycroft kept his eyes on the little sleeping bundle “I’ll take her tonight, if you don’t mind, of course” Mycroft was being polite!

“Mycroft, is that you?” John sat next to his brother in law and checked his pulse and touched his forehead

“Of course it’s me Doctor Watson” Mycroft smirked, but he was too mesmerized with the baby to even care about being teased or teasing back “Ah, by the way, Mamie is coming too” Mycroft said before going to his own suite across the hall carrying Bell “Good night brother mine, John” and he left, just like that

Sherlock and John looked at each other not knowing what to do or how to react, Sherlock’s family was coming to meet Bell and now they were alone, everything happened too fast. They sat on the small sofa trying to grasp what just had happened and John decided to prepare a bath for the two of them.

Once settled in the enormous tub, Sherlock began to talk again “Costas was one of the homeless I met the first day I arrived to the centre. He thought I was lost and he helped me get the grip on meal schedules and hostels locations. He said that if in case I couldn’t get a bed he could take me to “his place” as soon as dinner was over, and that he would stay the night with me and introduce me to some of his friends. I thanked him, of course, and after he ate, and shared his bread with me because I was apparently too late, we walked to the Keramikos Museum and he helped me set up a sort of bed made with cardboard boxes and he taught me how to hid at night to avoid being beaten and robbed” John had his eyes closed and remembered how he found Sherlock at the den, a sigh escaped his mouth and Sherlock moved closer to him

“Want a drink to hear the rest?” Sherlock asked, he was concerned, it was the first time he described his sleeping arrangements explicitly. John nodded and left the tub. They put bathrobes on and went to sit at the balcony with their bottle and two tumblers “Costas was a professor, he used to teach philosophy and art history at some school, after he lost his job and couldn’t get another, he couldn’t afford to keep his flat and was thrown to the street. He had lived on the streets for almost four years; he had worked as a bag carrier at the airport, and from time to time as a concierge, but those jobs were usually given to young people and he was fired many times. We talked almost all night, he told me all about him and I decided to trust him, he was kind and caring, he took a look at my wounds and didn’t ask. I wanted to help him so much” Sherlock was crying, remembering all the stories Costas had told him over that first night

“After I got acquainted with Costas I told him exactly what I needed. I told him all about you, Moriarty, the job I was doing, what had happened to me, how I got the scars in my lower back, what happened in Italy, everything. By sunrise, I promised him I would help him get out of the streets, take him to London, get him a job, anything he asked for. He said that he would gladly help me, no reward needed, and that the best I could do was be safe, he acted like a father” Sherlock had his eyes closed, the tears flowing freely, and John was sitting next to him, letting him mourn his loss and holding his hand; as always

“The next day, we got in contact with Alec and Catalina, and they decided that they would help “the professor”, that was his codename. They took him to our safe haven and fed him, gave him a change of clothes and offered him a new job as clerk at their office; he agreed immediately, but said that he wanted to help me first, and that with him I would find the guy I was looking for faster, so he stayed in the streets with me for almost two weeks, we moved from one park to other, from one street to other, following our target” Sherlock’s gaze was fixed into nothing as he recalled those two weeks “Costas helped me contact some of the users, and a boy, Antonio, he was maybe seventeen, living on the streets for almost five years, was the one that gave the names and contacts I needed to find my guy. All the homeless that helped me were promised more help, although I could only help so few”

“You’ve done a lot love. Some people just can’t be saved” John kissed him softly “What happened next? Antonio died too?” Sherlock nodded

“After four days of waiting, and following, watching them sell and buy I located one of Moriarty’s men, he led me to his boss, unknowingly, and I called Alec and Catalina for help. Costas was very helpful, he was the one that passed the messages to Alec and Catalina, and he also helped me get around easily. The operative was ready, set to a week after I gave the information. We had located each and every one of Moriarty’s operatives; everything was set up. Costas saved my life that night”

“How?”

“Antonio betrayed us” Sherlock shook his head “He told the boss that I was looking for him because I wanted to send the police his way, he invented some story about me being a cop and wanting to get him for selling drugs, but it was not that accurate. He had killed many homeless and was the boss of a gang that raped and beat homeless people; he also was a gun for hire. When I arrived to the location, just outside Athens, he was waiting for me with a few henchmen. I had given Costas a burner and he immediately called Alec, the operation got delayed an hour, until Costas could tell them to where I had been taken and what they were planning to do to me”

“You want to keep on going love?” John could see how upset Sherlock was. Sherlock just nodded and kept on talking

“They took me to a warehouse and chained me, they started hitting me and asking me who I was and what I wanted, and I could hear Antonio telling them all about Costas. I pretended I didn’t understand Greek and started speaking in English, but that didn’t work, Moriarty’s man, the boss, started questioning me in English about Costas and every time I denied knowing him he would punch me. They gave Antonio a gun and offered him a job, kill Costas and come back with the body, the payment a new job and drugs, and the next job would be killing me for more money and drugs” Sherlock was shivering and John pulled him close. He took his hand and helped him in getting Sherlock to sit on his lap.

“I could see Costas outside, through an open door, he smiled at me and left; before I knew it, Catalina and Alec were there with the local police and Jacques was with them. In the confusion, Antonio shoot Costas in the chest and a police officer killed Antonio with a shot to his head. I tried to run to Costas but I had been hit relentlessly for about an hour. I crawled next to Costas and he just… smiled at me. His last words were ‘Don’t worry son, we’ll be home soon’ and that was it” I couldn’t do anything for him, I couldn’t save him” Sherlock was sobbing this time; he could barely speak anymore and was trembling in John’s arms.

The Doctor, worried as always, scooped his Detective and took him to bed. He soothed Sherlock with love words and by caressing his unruly curls until he felt the Detective breathing slowly and steady. John knew that he would probably have another episode and that he needed to keep an eye on him for the night. He cuddled Sherlock close and let himself fall sleep a few minutes later.

The next morning, Mycroft, Bell, Violet and Siger were waiting for them at the Roof Garden Restaurant to have breakfast, but John apologised for Sherlock, telling them that the Detective wasn’t feeling right. He watched Sherlock sleep for two more hours until he saw him stir and stretch. He ordered some breakfast and waited for his Detective to finally get up after ten hours.

As soon as Sherlock opened his eyes he asked for Bell

“Having breakfast with her uncle and grandparents” John said, smearing some butter on Sherlock’s toast

“Are you okay John?”

“Yes love. Why?”

“How long?”

“Just ten hours, no nightmares”

“Thank you” Sherlock got out of bed and walked to John to hold him

“Good morning to you too!” John winked and kissed Sherlock deeply before pushing the toast into his mouth, Sherlock huffed and tried to swallow but the piece was too big and he choked on it. John was there with him the second he heard him cough and helped him drink some tea to pass the toast

“Thank you love” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek, knowing that soon they wouldn’t be able. “Shall we leave Bell with my parents and go about town so I can show you everywhere I stayed and where I met Costas?” John nodded and dialled Mycroft’s number, he answered after the second ring

“Good morning Mycroft” John greeted cheerfully “Thank you for taking Bell for breakfast”

“Nothing to worry about John, besides, she’s delightful; Mummy is totally entranced with her, never seen her act this way”

“I’m so glad” John smiled “I need a favour though” John waited for an answer

“Sure”

“Keep her for the day? She should want a snack by ten, lunch by noon, a nap, no more than twenty minutes, and another snack by four”

“Sure John, gladly. Mummy says she’ll take care of Isabelle”

“Thank you Mycroft, call you later” John ended the call and looked at Sherlock, eyebrows furrowed and temple creased “Oh sweetie, we need this, just today, for Bell’s sake” Sherlock just nodded and went to the bathroom to get ready

“Coming?” He asked before disappearing into the large en-suite. John followed promptly and after a very thorough… bath, they left the suite to walk around the city. Their first destination for the day was the homeless centre, where they made a donation under Costas’ name, and then Sherlock walked with John to every park and street where he had stayed with Costas. Some of the homeless recognised him, but they stayed away, mostly out of fear.

They were back before Bell’s snack time and they went with their family to the archaeological museum and visited the Agora and Plaka Street. After Bell’s bath, Mycroft left an agent with the baby and they all went to the Olympia Theatre to watch Rigoletto.

“It was a wonderful night. You didn’t sulk!” John teased Sherlock as soon as they entered their room

“It was very pleasant, indeed” Sherlock smiled “But I’ve missed Bell the whole day, so I think now is a good moment to check on her and be with her, even though she’s asleep” He went to the cot and looked adoringly at his little daughter

“You’re right. She looks so beautiful” John ruffled her unruly curls softly before bending and kissing her

“We should rest, we have a dinner planned with Alec and Catalina tomorrow” Sherlock huffed

“Don’t worry love. I’ll behave” John pinched Sherlock’s buttock “But tonight I think we should misbehave some more” He pulled the detective to the bed and as almost every night, made love to him, sweetly and lovingly.


	44. Another broken heart? Oh Sherlock… March 15th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...no one expects that Sherlock Holmes, the restless and heartless machine, could be happily married and could become a family man...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy conflict... so not sorry for that!!!

As planned beforehand, the entire Holmes family went on a leisure day and visited Athens, some more museums and sites were visited and sufficiently enjoyed, and by night, after their little family ritual, the Holmes-Watson went on a dinner with their Greek friends

Alec was waiting for them at one of the restaurants at Plaka Street and a few minutes later Catalina arrived, looking absolutely mortified. She greeted Sherlock with a shy hug before shaking John’s hand. They all sat at a table in one of the many restaurants and ordered drinks before thinking about dinner

“Jacques said that congratulations are in order” Catalina said, playing with her tumbler

“Well, yes. Thank you” Sherlock grinned

“When? How?” Alec asked

“When? Four and a half months ago. How? By signing a document” Sherlock answered with a nonchalant attitude

“Sherlock…” John chastised

“Sorry…” Sherlock looked down and John patted his arm

“So you’re the famous John, the army doctor and blogger?” Catalina asked

“Apparently I am” John chuckled

“Why didn’t you tell us? Alec and I talked to Jacques before you arrived and he said to expect a huge surprise, but this certainly was more than either of us could have expected. I called Lara and she laughed the whole time. She said not to tell the others, why is that?”

“Because no one expects that Sherlock Holmes, the restless and heartless machine, could be happily married and could become a family man, and even if you tell them, they might not believe you” Sherlock sighed and John gave him a kiss on the cheek

“That’s not true!” Catalina looked at Sherlock with bewildered eyes, and reached for his hands, holding them between hers “You’re everything but a heartless machine. The restless part yes, but not the heartless one, if that were true, then explain this, how could you have fought the way you did to protect us, your true friends; the ones that were with you every step of the way? Besides, a heartless machine could never have acted the way you did after the professor” She said that with a sufficient intonation, as if she shared some secret with Sherlock, she was being annoyingly smug

Sherlock looked at John and tried to pry his hands from her grip, but it was so firm that it was getting uncomfortable. John acted on it and trailed Sherlock’s ear with his wedding ring finger making him shiver and smile broadly, Catalina immediately let go of Sherlock’s hands. The game was on!

“Actually, I asked him to keep everything secret” John decided to speak and end the conversation “As we planned this trip I asked Sherlock to surprise all of you, I wanted to see the way you react to us being together, that way either of us wouldn’t be forced to act politely and if needed, I could stay back at the hotel with our daughter and Sherlock could go out and have his planned dinners” He entwined his fingers with Sherlock’s and Catalina’s murderous glare made him smirk

Sherlock glanced at John, knowing perfectly that that was a lie, a huge one, but decided to keep it to himself; his husband had his way to tell him, without words, that he was uncomfortable. He could see John smiling, that seemingly charming smile that told Sherlock he didn’t like the person he was talking to but was being polite, he had his plaster smile. Thankfully the food arrived and the conversation turned into something dull, Catalina talking about everything her and Sherlock “had done” during Sherlock’s stance in Greece, the places they had gone, and how SHE had helped him. John just listened with the same plastered smile, acting surprised, amazed or even angry when he was supposed to. Catalina, of course, embellished the story and her relationship with Sherlock, but it was clear that she had never listened to him.

Alec decided to interrupt when Catalina said something about her staying all night alongside Sherlock while he was in hospital after he was tortured, before he left to Egypt “We all were there, Jacques was Sherlock’s emergency contact, and he was always there, every time Sherlock was in hospital. Number Four called and said that we should report everything to her, almost every breath” Alec chuckled nervously “I’m sure Sherlock has told you all about it”

“Yes, he has, we talked about Costas and Antonio last night and we went to visit his grave and all the places Sherlock went with him. Some of the doctors at the hospital recognized Sherlock and were glad to see that he was doing better. The same has happened in all the countries we’ve been so far. I just wish I could have been here with him but I know he did what he did because of me, for our friends, for us, so we could be safe, and together” John looked at Sherlock with doe eyes, smiling lovingly at him, and then looking at the other couple as if he had completely forgotten they were there. John felt satisfaction hit him, his smile turning into a smug grin.

Sherlock wanted to kiss him, but he just leaned and whispered into John’s ear “Tonight” making John shiver and blush. Catalina had enough and decided to leave, barely excusing herself and leaving the three men alone at their table. Once she was gone, they all laughed hard looking at each other, amused by her behaviour

“Sorry mate” Alec apologised between laughs

“It’s okay” John cleared his throat and tried to calm “Not the first time” He chuckled

“Yeah, it’s fine. She acted worst that Daniel did, though. I didn’t even have the chance to talk to her properly; I’ve never seen anyone act that way towards John. He’s usually the liked one” Sherlock couldn’t breathe, he was laughing so hard

“I’ll talk to her. She’s been pinning for you since she met you, even after Lara told us why you were doing what you were doing. Lara was certain that you were in love with John and I can see she was right. I’m so sad that we didn’t have enough time to talk during your time here, but I could see you were tired, and sad. After you left to Egypt, Lara called me and asked me to go to Berlin, I met Daniel and Gustav there; they had plans to keep on helping you, and Jacques and Paul too. Nikka went with Mina to meet us and apologised for Andrei and Valeria. Erika wanted to help too but she had just found out she was pregnant with Rick’s baby. Marco said that they would keep an eye on you, that they already knew who your liaisons were in Egypt, and he kept us posted; we were all so worried when you went missing in Belarus. Lara kept repeating that our mission was to keep you safe at all cost to send you back to John”

“Thank you” John was truly touched, he was very grateful to all these people that had helped Sherlock go back home, that had been with him at his worst. Sherlock just looked at his friend, lost for words; he knew that every single one of the persons that had helped him were committed to the cause, but never knew how much

“Love?”

“Mm?”

“Maybe once we are done we should invite them to our home and have them all over for dinner, what do you think?”

“Splendid idea John! As soon as we’re back we can plan it and have them come over to our place at Sussex”

“I like the idea” John beamed “Alec, I can’t thank you enough, any of you, you kept him safe and gave him back to me. Thank you. I hope Catalina would understand” John sighed

“I’ll talk to her, don’t worry” Alec reassured them “When are you leaving?”

“We leave to Santorini tomorrow, for about a week, and then we’ll be back to get the car and we’ll drive to Albania, stay a couple of days and then to Bulgaria via Macedonia. Why?”

“Maybe you can spare a day. I’d like to go with you to Costas’ grave and maybe you can talk to Catalina?”

Sherlock looked at John before nodding their agreement; Catalina did help him, and she did stay at the hospital with him those two nights, and they were there with him during Costas’ funeral.

“Thank you Sherlock. I hope you have a nice week at Santorini. Call if you need anything” Alec walked them to the end of the street so they could go back to their hotel “See you soon” He gave them one last hug and left his way.

Once in their hotel room; Sherlock apologised to John for Catalina’s behaviour

“I assume it was love at first sight” John snickered kissing Sherlock’s ear

“John, please. She’s a capricious young woman” Sherlock spat “. Though I must admit she was very helpful at all times, they all were. At least Daniel and Nikka made clear they wanted to be with me”

“Nikka?”

“Moscow contact, love”

“How many broken hearts have you left along the way?” John pretended to be hurt

“I don’t know and I don’t care. The only heart I’m concerned with, and that matters to me the most, is yours. As long as I have your heart I’m happy” Sherlock snuggled John

“Are you ill?” John mocked concerned and felt Sherlock’s cheeks and forehead

“No. Why?” Sherlock sat on the bed, away from John

“Then who are you and what have you done with my Sherlock?” John joked and pulled Sherlock close again

“Want to sleep in the sofa?” Sherlock struggled and tried to get away from the strong grip

“Sorry dear” John guffawed and squeezed him harder

“Stop it, Captain Watson!” Sherlock tickled him, finally being able to get away from the hug

“Tickle war soldier?” John used his best Captain voice despite being chocked by laughter and chased Sherlock over the bed until he had a firm grasp on him

“You asked for it. You keep on mocking and teasing me when I’m being serious” Sherlock pouted, letting John hold him

“Sorry love. I was just joking” John didn’t look sorry at all, he still had that teasing grin and Sherlock wanted to kiss it away… or maybe punch it…

“Why is it that when I try to be sweet you mock me? And then you keep on asking if I’m ill or feverish? You must know by now that I’m capable of giving you a proper toothache” Sherlock said with mock anger

“I know you can be sweet” kiss on the ear “loving” kiss on the neck “caring” a small bite bellow the ear “romantic” a deep snog “And I love you for that” Hands sliding down Sherlock’s side to rest on his hips before the tickle war began again. Sherlock squirmed and fought back, until he managed to turn them and have John beneath him, tickling him relentlessly

Soon the tickles turned to caresses and the caresses turned to groping, the kisses made their appearance and John was on top of Sherlock, pulling clothes out of his way and making love to his husband. 


	45. Santorini with the Holmes. March 16th to March 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You are the John my Cotty loves. I’m so glad to finally meet you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small island, a big family... and one of the many reasons why Sherlock hates holidays with the other Holmes... Go Grammie!!! I had so much fun writting it... I hope you enjoy reading it... LYA!

The next morning, at a very early hour, they left Athens with Sherlock’s family and boarded a private plane that took them directly to Santorini. As soon as they landed, two large cars were waiting to take them to their hotel; when they arrived, they were conducted to a luxurious looking Villa. Mamie had booked the presidential Villa at the Ambassador so they all could share a large residence, private enough to keep his grandson away from prying eyes.

Mamie was resting in the lounge by the pool. She looked beautiful, all dressed in white, and she didn’t look a day older than sixty. Her grey and unruly curls framed a delicate marble like face, grey eyes, just as Sherlock’s, that revealed a strong headed woman; pink bow lips displayed a broad and sincere smile. Her thin body was covered by the white dress, and long and thin hands, with equally long and thin fingers, rested carefully over her lap.

Next to her, an ecstatic Mrs. Hudson rested her arm on the back of the sofa and her head on her hand and was looking at them with a huge smile. She too was wearing a white long dress that accentuated her features. Sherlock looked at two of the women he loved the most in the world and had no idea who to greet first. He hadn’t seen his Mamie in over a year and he hadn’t seen Mrs. Hudson since Vienna. He went over them and greeted his Mamie first, his perfect French faltering a little from the excitement of seeing her. Sherlock hugged Mamie, before planting a kiss on her forehead, a fond smile spread over his lips while he rambled how much he loved her and how much he had missed her over the past few years.

Isabelle Holmes was looking at her grandson with love in her eyes. Sherlock was kneeling in front of her, holding her hands, lost in the excitement. John was witnessing the scene from the door, he had never seen Sherlock look at anybody the way he was looking at his grandmother, respect and love in every smile, every gesture, and every word. Soon the bubble burst when the old lady greeted her other grandson and Mycroft kneeled next to her too, holding her close and speaking in perfect French too. Mycroft too, hadn’t seen her grandmother for over a year and just the way Sherlock did, he too greeted her lovingly.

Soon it was time for Siger to greet his mother, he sat next to her and the three Holmes men chatted happily ignoring, momentarily, the rest of the guests. With one word, Mamie silenced them and the three men stood and greeted Mrs. Hudson properly, Sherlock holding her the way he knows she loves, kissing her cheek and smiling fondly at her. Mrs. Hudson returned the hug and removed a wild curl from Sherlock’s fringe, just the way she always did when the two of them were talking, or plotting how to rule the world with her tea and biscuits.

John too went over to greet Mrs. Hudson, little Isabelle walking hand in hand with Daddy John love. Martha Hudson, landlady extraordinaire, hugged and kissed her other boy with all the love she had for him, palming softly his cheek and smoothing his shirt, the same way she did every morning before John left for work. No matter her bad hip, or her tiny body structure, she picked little Isabelle up, as she did when David left her at the door in 221B, speaking soothing and loving words.

Once the greeting commotion was over, it was time for Bell’s morning snack, and an adult chat. All the Holmes sat around Mamie, clearly stablishing her role as the head of the family. It was time for proper introductions and since she already knew all about John, all she needed was to put a real face to the picture her grandson had painted for her almost four years ago.  

“You are the John my Cotty loves. I’m so glad to finally meet you” Isabelle was holding John’s hand in hers, while she played with Bell’s curls with the other, the little toddler sitting between them on the pool mattress

“Nice to meet you too Mrs. Holmes” John blushed

“No need to be formal, Isabelle would do” At this little Isabelle looked at her grand-Mamie with wide eyes

“Mamie” Sherlock kneeled in front of her “This is our daughter, Isabelle Violet Holmes-Watson”

“A true beauty” Isabelle smiled “Now, I want to know everything. How was the wedding, where, everything”

“We got married at the Diogenes Club, you received the invitation” Sherlock chastised her

“Oh sweetie… You know I hate London” She retorted “I would have loved to be there, but October and London, not really my favourite month or my favourite city”

“I know Mamie. But it would have been nice to have you there”

“Well. I’m here now. And I see married life agrees with you. Now you have to help me find a little “goldfish” for your bother” She giggled and pointed at Mycroft

“I would do nothing of sorts” Sherlock crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted “Besides I think he already has that spot filled in his fish tank” Sherlock murmured loud enough for Mycroft to hear him

“Not the time, Cotty” Mycroft snorted

“Mycie baby, don’t!” Mycroft pursed his lips and looked down “We’ll find you a nice someone, maybe they will be able to help with you sour disposition” Mycroft rolled his eyes and just sighed with desperation

“You shouldn't worry about that Mamie, he was born sour…”

“Now, now Cotty!” She scolded “He deserves to be as happy as you are; you know what happened to the other one”

“Not really” Sherlock mumbled under his breath

“Now to the hard questions. When are you giving me another grand-baby?” Isabelle’s eyes sparkled “A little Cotty perhaps?” On cue, both men blushed and looked at each other      

“Maybe after the trip Mamie” Sherlock answered shyly “We’re just getting used to Bell, but maybe in a year, it all depends on what John wants” And the ball was on John’s court

“I’d love to have one right now, but Sherlock said he wanted to wait, so, as soon as he says he’s ready I’m all for it” John answered nonchalantly. Sherlock gaped and opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing exactly what to say

“Then we should plan already!” Isabelle clapped. Sherlock paled and glared at John “I say we go out for dinner tonight and discuss about the new baby and how to bring it to the world” Isabelle stood and left the befuddled couple staring at each other. Mycroft was laughing so hard that he almost fell from his chair, and Isabelle just glared at him “And I have plans for you Mycie baby!”

Mycroft decided it was time to let his Mamie know he was already dating someone, the moment he decided to speak, a knock on the door interrupted him, to Mycroft’s surprise, it was Greg, Mycroft rushed to the door, and he was properly snogged by his lover, in front of all his family. Mycroft blushed and tried to hide his face, but Greg pulled him close and led him back to the pool. He introduced himself to the family members before hugging John and Sherlock.

“Mamie” Mycroft cleared his throat “This is Gregory Lestrade, my…” Mycroft looked at Greg for help but he just shook his head ‘deal with it’ Greg mouthed to him “boyfriend” Mycroft mumbled under his breath, blushing hard

“I’m so glad to finally meet you” Isabelle greeted. “I was wondering how long we would have to play fools and tease Mycie until he broke and confess” She laughed. “Finally, Mycie baby! I was wondering for how long you would keep him hidden from us. I’m so happy for you!” Isabelle beamed at them “I’m Isabelle Holmes, Mycroft’s grandmother” she introduced herself

“Very nice to meet you Ma’am”

“Oh Gregory… Isabelle, please. Now, go, sit. This is great!” She clapped and left the couples at the pool “Come Martha, we have a lot of things to talk” She pulled Mrs. Hudson by the arm and went inside the Villa with her.

The rest of the day was spent by the pool, Greg and John swimming and playing with Isabelle, who was an absolute surprise to Greg. Mycroft and Sherlock had a stare contest until Mycroft retired to work for a while; Anthea was staying at one of the rooms near them.

Violet and Siger enjoyed some more time with their brand new grand-daughter until it was time for her dinner. They gave her a bath and put her to bed before calling a nanny and leaving for the night to one of the many dinners planned

Thankfully for John and Sherlock, during dinner the conversation orbited around Mycroft and Greg and their relationship, what plans they had, why they had been hiding their relationship, what Greg felt about Mycroft’s job and how he coped with it, how was the flight to Greece and about his job. They also grilled him with questions about his previous marriage, his daughters, and his former wife and, unlike Mycroft, Greg was happy to answer every question; after all, it had been ten years since they had met and almost the same amount of years since he had fallen for Mycroft.

Once in the safety of their room, Sherlock and John shared a laugh at Mycroft’s expense, though the joy lasted just a few moments because they knew that Mamie will grill them as soon as she had the chance.

“So… Cotty...” John snickered and Sherlock rolled his eyes in a silent protest “You threw me under the bus this afternoon” Sherlock raised an eyebrow in questioning “And then you said that you’ll do as I wanted…” John had a mischievous grin

“About the baby, John” Sherlock shivered

“Oh… knock it off, would you! At least for a night! Please!” Came the voice of Mycroft Holmes from the other side of the door. They looked at each other and laughed loudly, it wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last time Mycroft had interrupted them, but now they could interrupt him too.

“Isn’t your boyfriend....?” Sherlock mocked “Waiting for you to do the same?” He muffled a laugh

“Sherlock!” They could hear Mycroft’s footsteps getting away from their bedroom

“So… where were we?” John licked his lips and looked at Sherlock seductively

“Talking about you deciding when we should have another baby” Sherlock rolled away from John

“Hey, where’re you going?” John chased him around the bed

“Do you want to have another kid right now?” Sherlock sat on the edge of the bed, putting some distance between him and John “Please, be honest with me”

John sighed and sat on the other side of the bed, as far away as possible from Sherlock “To tell you the truth…” He rubbed his face with both hands “I’d love to have a kid that is ours, yours and mine; don’t get me wrong, I love Bell, but…” He ran his fingers through his hair, obviously embarrassed and uncomfortable “I know it’s too soon, that we just got Bell and that we’re traveling and it’s already difficult with a toddler, but yes, I want another kid with you” He avoided looking at Sherlock.

Sherlock closed the gap and put his hands around John’s neck, kissing the shell of John’s ear “Next year. We’ll do some research first, find the best method and then have another child”

“Next year” John closed his eyes and leaned into Sherlock’s chest. No less than a minute passed when he was lightly snoring, secure and comfortable in Sherlock’s arms. Sherlock moved him slowly and pulled him on top of his chest. He petted his head and played with John’s hair until he too fell asleep.

As always, morning sex was a must. Sherlock’s hand travelled down and under John’s red pants and John shifted his hips to give Sherlock better access. They were about to kiss when a muffled giggle startled them. Sherlock opened his eyes and found a very red Mrs. Hudson standing next to a wild eyed Isabelle. Sherlock groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, trying to hide their faces behind it.

“Out of bed” Isabelle tutted “We have a lot of things to do and many things to talk about. You can be… romantic… later” She pulled the duvet from over their bodies and all Sherlock could do was put the pillow down over their hips, and attempt to hide their morning arousals

“We’ll be right out” Sherlock groaned and looked at John, whose face was as red as his pants “I’m sorry” Sherlock mouthed and got off the bed, chasing out the meddling ladies “I have to remember to lock the fucking door” Sherlock sighed climbing back to their bed; unfortunately, any signs of John’s morning arousal had already faded away and John was headed to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Sherlock sat on the bed and waited for John to come out. He could hear the Villa inhabitants walking and talking, his parents laughing; he could hear a loud curse too, it was Greg shouting something about locking the fucking door. Sherlock chuckled and decided to share the news with John. “She interrupted Mycroft and Greg too, John!” Sherlock guffawed and could hear John laughing hard on the other side. The door clicked open and John pulled him in

“Maybe a shower is not out of the question” John winked

“Oh yes it is” They could hear Greg’s thunderous voice on the other side of their wall. John simply sighed, his shoulders slumped backwards. They took a quick shower before getting dressed even quicker to attend breakfast. A sumptuous breakfast was waiting for them at the table. Isabelle winked at them, making Sherlock roll his eyes. It was going to be a long trip.

When breakfast was finally over, and they were thoroughly teased and humiliated by Isabelle and their parents, the four men wanted to run away from the island to wherever. But Isabelle had plans to visit other islands, the first one Mykonos. At Mykonos they visited the mills, and the island of Delos. To have a time alone with his family Sherlock took John to the archaeology museum, unfortunately, they all thought it was a great idea and tagged along. By the afternoon, after scuba diving, they returned to their Villa for the night, dinner was served and of to bed.

Their trip to Crete was pretty much the same, a walk in town, visits to the interesting sights, such as the Palace of Knossos, lunch and the mandatory visit to Heraklion. The night was spent at the Villa, followed by awkward conversations and the usual morning interruption. The entire trip was planned by Mamie, and they had to go along, it was rare for her to be so lively. The next morning they left early to Rhodes, they visited museums and sites, with no time for romance or to be alone. For elderly ladies, both Isabelle and Martha were radiant and energized, walking everywhere, carrying Bell, and playing with her.

Their last night was spent by themselves. Sherlock decided to take John to a nice restaurant he had eyed earlier, but when he saw who were there he decided to flee. Greg was proposing to Mycroft that very moment and it was best to leave them be; they had spent way too much time together, and all the time were interrupted by any family member. Sherlock pulled John to the window and they watched as Greg pulled a box out of his trousers’ pocket and handed it to Mycroft. Mycroft’s reaction was brilliant, he jumped Greg and started kissing him hungrily, Greg had to push him slightly away and Mycroft composed himself, he smiled and nodded and Greg slid the ring on his finger; his eyes expressed a hunger that Sherlock had never seen

“They are going to be loud tonight…” Sherlock said with mock frustration.

“Maybe we should sleep on the boat” John whispered

“I think they had the idea first…”

“And we should let them have it…”

“You’ve turned me into a good man, John Watson… I’m considerate now” Sherlock said the last words with a strange look on his face, as if the words went sour in his tongue

“And I love you because of that, so keep on being good” John blew a kiss and pulled Sherlock’s arm to go somewhere else to eat

The next day they spent the day at Santorini, visiting museums and sites, like they had done during the entire trip; and by the night, they were headed to Athens after saying goodbye to Sherlock’s family. The Holmes and Mrs. Hudson were staying at Santorini for another week. The good-byes were teary eyed and promises to visit were made. They shared the plane with Greg and Mycroft and while the brothers shared a heartfelt stare down, Greg and John chatted happily about their partners, the excitement of being a parent and their plans to have another child, plans for a wedding and a honeymoon somewhere where they could meet again and of course a well planned visit to London for their wedding, and the much needed stag party. Greg appointed John as his best man, and of course John accepted gladly.


	46. Goodbye Athens, Hello Greece. March 21st to March 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When I was on the roof; I knew he had to see me fall. It was the only way I could save his life, and after that, I had to sever Moriarty’s network, just to keep him safe. I love him, since that first day. I had many chances to stop, to step away, to end everything and stay anywhere, but I had to come back, for him, to him. He’s my life..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving Greece, going to Bulgaria... A bit of homophobia, but only if you squint...
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the reading. LYA!

Once at their hotel, they parted ways to their suites and shared a romantic evening with their partners, it was needed. Early next morning, Sherlock decided it was time to leave Athens, but not before he had a deep and heartfelt discussion with Catalina. They went to the Keramikos cemetery and Sherlock took Catalina away to have a “chat”

“Catalina, first I’d like to thank you for being by my side during my stay here in Greece. It was really hard for me being away from London, and mostly, being away from John. I don’t think I ever told you how we met, we really didn’t have much time, unlike with the other guys, and I barely made time to talk to you” Catalina nodded “Here” Sherlock handed her his phone with John’s blog on it “This is how we met; and it took us over five years to finally be together” He sat next to Catalina as she read their first case together. When she was done she looked at Sherlock and handed him the phone

“I still don’t get it” She said with a sigh. Sherlock looked for the post after his fall and handed the phone to Catalina again. Once again she read it and this time, her eyes teared up and she cried all the sadness John had felt

“When I was on the roof; I knew he had to see me fall. It was the only way I could save his life, and after that, I had to sever Moriarty’s network, just to keep him safe. I love him, since that first day. I had many chances to stop, to step away, to end everything and stay anywhere, but I had to come back, for him, to him. He’s my life Catalina…” Sherlock was beaming

“I get it now. I’m sorry my friend. I love you, so much… All I want is for you to be happy, and I can see how happy he makes you. Congratulations Sherlock” She hugged him and went over to see John. Sherlock could see John’s reaction; he was confused at first but accepted her hug and the rain of kisses that came his way.

“We have to go. I want to get to Delphi before sunset”

“Then we have plenty of time for lunch. Care to join us?” Catalina invited

“Yes, of course” John agreed immediately

They shared a wonderful lunch and before they knew it, they were on their way to Delphi. They stayed at one of the many hotels near the Oracle, and for the first time in their marriage, they had two beds instead of one at their hotel room

“I feel as if I were back in school again” Sherlock snorted “Small beds and a gorgeous roommate” he snickered

“Gorgeous roommate? You had a crush on your roommate?” John grinned

“No” Sherlock stated “You’re the only gorgeous roommate I’ve ever had. Mycroft made sure that I had a private room always” Sherlock sighed “Well, it’s one night. I can survive”

“We can squeeze if you want” John proposed

 “No. I don’t want you to be in pain tomorrow my love. We’ll manage”

They visited Delphi in the early hours, the sight was beautiful and they were mesmerized by the site. The museum was as wonderful as they expected and they spent the rest of the morning there. From Delphi they went to Lamia and visited the Thermopylae.

Sherlock narrated the battle to John and they shared a nice afternoon walking around the ruins of the old city and visiting the museum.

“I insist. You should be a teacher” John said distractedly, watching at one of the stone carved figures

“To our kids, but not to other children” Sherlock retorted

“Whatever honey” John was lost in the sight

“Whatever? Mm…” Sherlock wiggled an eyebrow

“No, Sherlock, you know what I mean” John backed out; he knew exactly what Sherlock meant

“Run you back to a hotel?”

“Sherlock…”

“That’s a no?” Sherlock pouted

“No…” John grinned

“Then it’s a yes?” Sherlock smirked

“No…” John shook his head but kept on smiling

“Then…?

“Later” John gave him one of his -I’m going to eat you raw- looks and pushed Bell’s buggy towards the museum. 

After their visit, they decided to leave early to Lepanto. Bell was tired and so were they; the strange looks they’d received made them uncomfortable, and they needed to talk about the awkward situation. Once in their car, John was silent, the baby was already sleepy and they had a couple of hours before they arrived to their destination

“You okay?” Sherlock glanced over to John

“There is something I don’t get” John sighed

“And that is?” Sherlock checked the side mirror

“Why they kept looking at us that way?”

“Who?”

“The people Sherlock…”

“What people?”

“The people at Delphi, and at Thermopylae, and all over Greece” John rubbed his face

“They are just getting used to couples such as ours, love” Sherlock explained softly “Remember the page I showed you?” John nodded “Remember what it said?” John raised an eyebrow “I know, we deserve better, but there is always going to be people that don’t get the way we feel, or that won’t respect us. I’m sorry my love. I really am” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “And it won’t get any better in Albania, but we need to stop somewhere unless you want to go to Bulgaria; and probably Macedonia will be as worst” Sherlock kissed John’s hand

“Why are you apologising?” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand back “I just don’t understand” John turned to check on Bell “I still can’t believe they gave us a room with two beds…”

“We’ll find worst on our way John…” Sherlock pulled over the road

“I know… But I’ve missed your hand in mine while we walk. I’ve missed your lips on mine too. I’ve missed you…” John pulled Sherlock for a deep kiss

“I’ve missed that too. But we’ll be arriving to Bulgaria in no time, and we can relax. In the meantime; we’ll be arriving to a beach pretty soon and I made sure we’re sharing a bed” Sherlock smiled

“It’s not just the bed…”

“I know my love” Sherlock kissed John “Soon everything will get better. I know” Sherlock soothed “I hope you like our room” He smiled and got back to the road

That night they shared a bed and stayed part of the night talking about the many reactions they had from people over Greece. Sure, they had a chance to act as a couple, but a lot of people kept on looking at them as if they were two headed aliens or something. They spent part of the morning at the beach playing with Bell before leaving Lepanto. Sherlock was willing to pull and eight hour drive, but last time the long trip had made Bell really uncomfortable and he wanted his daughter happy.

“We’ll be staying in Agrinio tonight, and tomorrow we’ll arrive to Tirana in the afternoon. Are you okay with that?” Sherlock asked while he was packing Bell’s buggy in their car

“Yes my love, I just hope Bell won’t get too tired. How long a drive is from Agrinio to Tirana?”

“Almost seven hours” Sherlock sighed “Perhaps is best to get ever further away” Sherlock thought for a moment

“Yes perhaps” John agreed “How far can we get from here?”

“Ioannina is halfway there; we can make it there in about four hours, just in time for Bell’s bath time”

“Then Ioannina it is” John beamed, helping his husband pack the last of their bags in their car.

As soon as they arrived to Ioannina, John helped Sherlock with Bell’s bath and they shared a quiet dinner after a bedtime story. Sherlock kept on looking at John and could feel his mood getting better with every passing moment; they needed to leave Greece as soon as they could, and get to other country, their stance in Greece had been a nice one, but at the same time, a very stressful one; not only because of what had happened with Catalina, and the days they had spent with the Holmes, but with the weird looks they received every time they decided to hold hands. 

John was relaxed, but less than satisfied with what had been happening; he tried to put on his best face but he knew that it was only a matter of time before the anxiety of being looked over and ostracized took a toll on him. He would want to bash a few heads, but Sherlock deserved better. He decided to act as nonchalant as possible when the receptionist looked at them as if they were infectious, but he decided he had enough when the bellboy dropped their bags and practically ran away from their room.

“John, please…” Sherlock tried to soothe him, but knew it was impossible, he too was feeling dejected; his life choices shouldn’t affect anybody else but him and his partner; he was glad that Bell was still a baby and that they would have time to protect her.

“I know, love. I know” John breathed deeply “I’m trying… Would they’ll be as bad in Bulgaria?”

“No my love” Sherlock reassured

“Can we stay just one night in Tirana?”

“As you wish” Sherlock tried to smile, he could feel John’s nervousness in his own stomach

They spent a sleepless night, thinking about how to stay a night in Tirana, perhaps it was a good idea just to stay the night and leave as soon as possible.


	47. To Sofia, in a hurry. March 26th to April 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We need a nanny” John groaned when he heard little Bell calling for Daddy Sher  
> “Totally agree” Sherlock yawned, blindly looking for his bathrobe somewhere on the floor “You think Hudders would enjoy traveling with us?”  
> “Sherlock…”  
> “What?”  
> “We can’t bring Mrs. Hudson around the world with us!”  
> “And you want to have another one…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another country. I really hope you're enjoying the fic.  
> Already hit chapter 91, correcting it as I publish and already writing the next  
> Loveyall!

Early the next morning, they left Ioannina and Sherlock drove straight to Tirana, almost five hours later, they arrived to a hotel where they had double beds again. ‘It’s for the best’ John thought, but he could see Sherlock’s sadness

“I’ll make it better” He promised as soon as they were alone in their room.

Even though John was angry, he decided that he probably wouldn’t get another chance to be in Albania, and they went to visit the town, as planned. They went to the National History Museum and spent part of their afternoon at the Grand Park. John decided they should stay another day to visit the National Gallery of Art and the fortress of Justinian; as always, Sherlock agreed, he too wanted to visit the city. At another park, while sharing some coffee and a walk, Sherlock decided to share with John his reason to visit Albania

“We’ll be arriving to Bulgaria soon, and the truth is that I wanted to spend some alone time with you before we met with Galina and Sergei” Sherlock admitted “I’m sure they’ll be waiting for us just like Catalina and Alec… I’m sure they’ll want to talk about what happened and I know how much you appreciate me being the one to tell you what happened first”

“Can you tell them we’ll be arriving another day?” John asked, holding the impulse to grab Sherlock’s hand

“I suppose I can, though they know when we arrive because of all the birds” Sherlock sighed

“Then call them and tell them we need some time alone. Explain what happened” John insisted

“You’re right John” Sherlock smiled and pulled his mobile out of his pocket “Sergei” Sherlock greeted, and John couldn’t make up the rest of the conversation; it was in another language, Russian-like. Sherlock nodded and beamed at John “All set” He smiled “We’ll be meeting them before we leave to Romania” John returned the smile and shoved Sherlock softly

“So…” John grimaced “Macedonia tomorrow?”

“Yup” Sherlock looked disappointed “Just for the day and then Bulgaria. We’ll have to do a U turn, so we can visit Bosnia and Serbia after Russia”

“I don’t mind my sweet love” John replied “As long as we are together I really don’t mind. Though we can fly all the way there after we visit Belarus, and we can stay at Vienna after the Czech Republic and go to Serbia by plane” John shoved Sherlock again as they walked back to their hotel

“I like that plan, besides we can get one of Mycroft’s birds to get the other car for us” Sherlock pushed John softly, trying to show his affection too

“Let’s plan it better as soon as we arrive to Bulgaria, and from there we can decide how to do it”

“Perfect”

In the early hours of the morning, Sherlock woke John and practically pushed him out of the room, he drove like a maniac to Macedonia and they had to share a double again, but Sherlock decided he wouldn’t be bothered by it; they would be in Bulgaria soon. In Macedonia they visited Skopje and an old Bazaar before going to the Fortress Kale. They enjoyed their day and ended up tired at their room, smiling at each other and the strange situation they were in.

“John, wake up” Sherlock shook John’s shoulder softly

“Why?” John asked sleepily

“It’s six in the morning. Let’s go my love. I want to be in Sofia by ten” Sherlock kissed John’s neck

“Twenty more minutes babe” John mumbled “Please?”  He turned and pulled the duvet over his face

“You’re supposed to be the early bird, John” Sherlock chuckled and planted another kiss to John’s ear “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can be in Sofia” Sherlock husked

“I’m up” John said grudgingly, getting off bed and locking himself in the bathroom for a quick shower

They were on the road in less than twenty minutes. Bell was still asleep and John made sure she was comfortable. They stopped for breakfast in Kumanovo and they were close to Sofia by Bell’s snack time. Sherlock decided to drive on while John fed the toddler and played with her.

“Ten more minutes and we’ll be at our hotel, loves” Sherlock looked at them through the rear view mirror.

“Excellent. The little one is getting all fussy” John tickled her

“I can tell. Mon petite amour” Sherlock said and little Bell looked over at him

“Oui Papa?” Bell answered and John was agape. He knew the baby was learning languages with Sherlock, but he never imagined she was already speaking almost perfect French

“You’re amazing” John praised “You both are” He kissed Bell’s little head and patted Sherlock’s shoulder

“Nous arrivons!” Sherlock pulled the car over a posh looking hotel in the centre of Sofia and Bell understood perfectly, smiling at her Papa and repeating “arrivons, arrivons, arrivons” excitedly, clapping her little hands and smiling

“Wow!” John looked up at the tall tower that was going to be his home for the next few days

 “You like it?”

“Like it? Looks amazing!”

“The best part is that it’s discrete, safe and close to almost everywhere” Sherlock explained, handing the car keys to a valet and pulling John to the hotel entrance

“Mr. Holmes!” The receptionist greeted “Welcome to the Marinela! We have your suite ready” She led them to the lift and to the room “We placed the crib, as you asked, in the other room, and you can find all the supplies you asked for in the pantry and the fridge” She signalled to the small kitchen and to a door that lead to what will be Bell’s room before handing Sherlock the keys to the suite

“Thank you” Sherlock tipped the girl and led her to the door, just in time to see the bellboy carrying their luggage out the lift and to the suite. As soon as the bellboy was gone, Sherlock hugged John and pulled him to the sofa, while Bell played with her plush toys on the floor.

“Do you like it?” Sherlock kissed John’s ear

“It’s wonderful!” John kept on looking around “Though that huge dining table is of no use to us” He signalled to the large table in the middle of the suite “It’s bigger than Baker!”

“Yup, though I was thinking we could cook and invite Galina and Sergei, that way we can have them over and stay, for once, at our hotel instead of looking where to eat. Besides, I think Bell could use some of our cooking, don’t you think?” Sherlock was already over John’s neck, making it difficult for the Doctor to even breathe

“Sher… Not with Bell here…” John chastised, but his fingers were already unbuttoning Sherlock’s trousers

“She’s distracted” Sherlock said between kisses “We can leave her here and…” And Bell pulled Sherlock’s leg and stood in front of them, demanding to be seated between her parents. John huffed and tried to compose himself, but all he wanted was to put the baby on the other room and have his way with his husband. Sherlock just chuckled and kissed John’s ear again “Tonight” he promised with a husky voice

“Where to?” John slumped back on the sofa and closed his eyes, willing his erection down.

“Many places, and the park, obviously” Sherlock tried to stand but he still had a growing conflict between his legs and had to wait for a while before being able to stand and carry his daughter “You interrupted us, young lady” He chastised the baby, but smiled at her, it wouldn’t be the last time… Isabelle smiled back at Daddy Sher and giggled loudly

“I’ll get her buggy” John sighed, with clear frustration

“And I’ll get the afternoon snack” Sherlock went to the kitchen and packed some biscuits and a juice for her afternoon snack “Let’s go love” Sherlock called close to the door “We’re going to the National Art Gallery first and I’ll show you were I had to stay while I was here in Bulgaria” John simply nodded and followed Sherlock out

They went, as planned, to the National Art Gallery and spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon there, before going for a quick lunch and to the Archaeological Museum. As any other night, they arrived to their hotel and gave Bell her bath before putting her to bed and reading her a story.

Sherlock pushed John to their bathroom and John was mesmerized with the view. They spent some time at the tub and shared a glass of wine before going to bed where Sherlock made up for the interruption. As always, Sherlock was very thorough, taking his time teasing John with his mouth and his hands, but doing the exact opposite to what John was expecting; he kneeled in front of John and simply worked himself open for his husband. John enjoyed the view and as soon as Sherlock was ready he took charge and enjoyed the night with his Detective

They both were panting, fully sated and exhausted, like they hadn’t been in quite some time and decided to sleep in, except that little Bell was up and ready to go by seven in the morning, giving her parents just an hour to sleep properly

“We need a nanny” John groaned when he heard little Bell calling for Daddy Sher

“Totally agree” Sherlock yawned, blindly looking for his bathrobe somewhere on the floor “You think Hudders would enjoy traveling with us?”

“Sherlock…”

“What?”

“We can’t bring Mrs. Hudson around the world with us!”

“And you want to have another one…” Sherlock sighed dramatically, sticking his tongue out and going to get his daughter out of her cot. John could hear him talking to the baby in French, apparently chastising her, because Bell was silent in an instant, and could hear Sherlock ordering some room service for their breakfast. John went to his husband and hugged him close

“Yes, I want another, call me a sadist” John sniffed and snuggled Sherlock´s back

“Then another we should have” Sherlock turned in John’s arm and kissed him deeply

“Plans for today?”

“Breakfast, park, talk, lunch, zoo, talk, dinner, and…” Sherlock licked his lips

John turned red and looked down, if it was for him, he would have stayed with Sherlock in bed all day, just like they had done many times, but now Bell needed them and they were parents “We need a nanny” John sighed

“Indeed” Sherlock held him closer

After breakfast they went to Boris’ Garden and Sherlock showed John where he used to sleep. They found a nice bench near the playground and left Bell to play. Sherlock signalled to Mycroft’s bird and the man immediately stood closer to them, a watchful eye always over Bell. Sherlock placed his hands over John’s and they assumed their “serious talk” position, fingers entwined, eyes on eyes and a smile

“I arrived to Bulgaria after a week in Romania. I had already lost count f how much time had passed since I left and I was nowhere near finishing Moriarty’s network, though I was trying my hardest. I was only a week in Romania because my lead in Ukraine helped immensely and I was able to capture one of Moriarty’s henchmen practically the day I arrived. Mycroft’s people were already on the track and all they needed was for me to identify him. I interrogated the guy and he gave a few more names that led me to Bulgaria and subsequently to Russia”

“How did you arrive to Sofia?”

“One of Mycroft’s men drove me here, he left me at the park in the early hours of the morning and Galina and Sergei were waiting for me at the Sofia Seminary, we passed by it this morning, remember the building I pointed to from the cab?” John nodded “They were waiting for me there, and from there they took me to Sofia’s outskirts, I had a lead that needed to be checked by the airport. When I arrived I found myself surrounded by men and they took me to another warehouse, the smell of petrol and oil served as clues to know that I was at a hangar in the airport. They kept me there for about four days until Sergei came for me. One of the men decided that I was his personal punch-ball and he “trained” his boxing techniques on me”

“How did you…” John needn’t to finish the sentence; Sherlock already knew what he wanted to know

“Tracking device in the burner”

“But, four days?”

“They needed to record everything, and the burner worked as a microphone too. That’s how we got leads to almost everywhere; Mycroft took the precaution to give me multipurpose burners after Germany; it was easier to keep track on me and to record everything”

“But… Serbia?”

“Tossed the burner” Sherlock looked down and John squeezed his hand, they weren’t ready to talk about Serbia, not yet.

“You walked here as much as you walked in the other places?”

“Yes, I needed to learn the lay of the land. It was easier, although during this leg on the race I had to rely on Mycroft’s birds more than I had done before, particularly because it gets harder to travel by train, and since I was technically dead, I couldn’t just catch a plane. I spent ten weeks traveling from one place to the other, and the rest of the time running, chasing and capturing people, with the occasional kill and torture”

“Did they interrogate you? Why did he hit you?”

“The man that used me as a punch-ball was the leader of the gang. He had raped and killed several girls and I was on to him; one of the leads had me working with the local police to capture him, he was a hire gun, and he killed young women out of spite. One of the women he killed was a politician’s daughter, he was supposed to kidnap her to get a vote and then return the girl safely home, but he decided it was best to rape and murder the young woman. He immediately assumed I was with the police and decided to kill me too. Fortunately for me he was busy trying to recover a shipment that got delayed in Romania” Sherlock closed his eyes remembering how they had captured the stolen goods and the man that was supposed to ship them to Bulgaria “He kept repeating that he was going to kill me as soon as he knew where the cargo was, and that he was going to leave my body to rot away near the police station so the other “coppers” would know he wasn’t a man to mess with”

“Did you…”

“No, Galina captured him. They put a hit on her head and he was hired to kill her. Little did he know that Galina is an excellent markswoman; the minute he laid a hand over her he was lying dead on the floor and some of his men too. Sergei had a team with him and they killed all of them and “saved” me. We had all the information we needed and were able to stop many shipments, although we had to let a few go to their destinations, it was imperative that the network kept on working; that’s how I ended up in Belarus, one of the last shipments that transported drugs and women was to be sent to Serbia”

“How…”

“I was in hospital for two days after I was retrieved; after that we had to go to the airport and capture some of the minor dealers, they were willing to help and one of them infiltrated the ranks successfully and now works for us full time, though Mycroft keeps an eye on him, just in case; at first we thought he was the one behind Moriarty’s reappearance but he was as scared and surprised as us; he helped us get to the bottom of it, he had a few names in mind, some he had already given to us but at the moment they weren’t as important”

“And the two weeks?”

“After I arrived we planned how to get the men I was looking for. Sergei and Galina drove me to the airport and I was captured, and after that I had to wait for four days to be rescued, two days in hospital and five more days chasing some minor dealers, taking them one by one, I spent two days negotiating with our inside man and also gathering some more documentation about the man that was threatening your life. Sure, the sniper was stopped but they still had a hit on you; you were followed daily and Mycroft made sure that no harm…”

Sherlock’s words were swallowed by John, a deep and rough kiss was delivered and Sherlock could barely breathe. John was kissing him the same way he did when Sherlock was being sweet and polite, or whenever he showed kindness, Sherlock let himself go and melted into the kiss “You’re wonderful” John kissed the tip of Sherlock’s nose “Amazing” His bottom lip “Brilliant” John’s lips were on Sherlock’s pulse “Thank you, wonderful man” John whispered against Sherlock’s lips.

“You are priority number one” Sherlock rested his forehead against John’s

“God I love you” John kissed him again

“I love you, John” Sherlock kissed back and smiled

“What happened after they released you from hospital?”

“Galina took me to the Seminary and they kept an eye on me. They fed me and gave me a place to rest. I had a broken rib. Here” Sherlock took John’s hand and moved John’s fingers over his left side. John felt the bone and the callus that had formed there and leaned to kiss the spot, Sherlock shivered and allowed John to lavish him before remembering where they were “John…” Sherlock hissed “Kids… Park…”

“Right, sorry my love. I just…”

“I know” Sherlock smiled and kissed him

“How long were you at the seminary?”

“A few hours... I think... I don't recall... I had to help Sergei identifying some men, and he was waiting for me at the airport. As I told you, we found some shipments and had to send them their way; the shipments were headed to different countries. Mycroft had them tracked and that’s how we found Moriarty’s men easily in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan; once I was done in Kazakhstan I went to Russia with one of the shipments and I met Blanicoff practically the moment I arrived to Moscow”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, why didn’t you infiltrate the network? Wasn’t it easier?”

“No, because I had to change my identity constantly, and we had no idea who else could be giving information about me, that was one of the main reasons to keep you in the dark, and by you I mean Mrs. Hudson, Greg, and of course you” Sherlock looked at John apologetically “One of the murderers was working at Greg’s office, he was part of the Yard…”

“What?” John was befuddled “Part of the Yard? Who?”

“He’s dead now my love. I’m sorry I had to keep you in the dark…”

“No, Sherlock. We’ve already discussed it. You did it to protect me, us, and I love you for that” John was kissing him again

“I found out about the man in the Yard almost too late. Mycroft had to take extraordinary measures to get rid of him; he created a promotion and that’s how he got rid of the man, and it was just about the right time because I had returned to London just a few hours before; the day the man was… disposed of… I went to visit Greg” Sherlock rubbed his face “That was the second time in my life I had seen Mycroft do the “leg work” If you think I’m vicious after I tortured the American and the Italian… You should have seen Mycroft…”

“He…” John was astounded once more

“He “interrogated” the man, and the second he said he was the one supposed to off Greg, Mycroft lost it. I had only seen my brother act that way when a bunch of kids at school were beating me”

“What?”

“Let’s go to the zoo and I’ll tell you everything” Sherlock pulled John by the hand and went over to get Bell. Mycroft’s bird was on the floor playing with the baby, mesmerized by the little girl “I think we found our sitter, love” Sherlock smiled at the young man “I’ll call Mycroft as soon as we arrive to the hotel and ask him for a new bird…” he grinned

John laughed heartily “She seems to like him”

“She likes everybody”

“Not really…” Sherlock quirked a brow in questioning “She hated the man in Ioannina, remember?”

“Right, she was in a foul mood that day”

“We all were” John slid his hand on Sherlock’s and they began walking

“The zoo is this way. Let’s get a cab” Sherlock suggested and John shook his head

“I want to walk love. I want to hold your hand and walk for a while” Sherlock just nodded and held John’s hand in his, fingers entwined as they pushed Bell’s buggy to the Sofia Zoo


	48. Kandahar and a bully at the Sofia Zoo. March 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll never let you go again” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand. They walked all the way to their hotel, pushing Bell’s buggy, never letting their hands go, enjoying the feeling of their fingers entwined, Sherlock enjoying the way John’s ring felt against his skin, John enjoying the feeling of Sherlock’s hand in his and the slight pressure of Sherlock’s fingers against his ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains derogatory terminology, if sensible to gay slang, bullying and abuse, please skip it.  
> A bit of angst... and a really long chapter... Hope you enjoy it  
> LYA!

Sofia Zoo was as beautiful as expected, and Bell was as excited as usual. They took her to the bird pavilion and she was soon lost watching the owls, giving her parents time to talk some more.

“I was six when my parents sent me to boarding school. My brothers were there too, but Sherrinford never bothered much, he was sixteen already and about to leave for University so he never knew what was happening to me. One morning, the weekend before Easter, Mycroft and I were supposed to meet for breakfast but I never showed up. Mycroft’s concern spiked, as usual, and he went to look for me at the dorms and he found me curled up against the door, beaten unconscious, a blunt hit to the head, maybe a fist, maybe a kick, I don’t really recall. He took me to the infirmary and called my parents immediately. The headmaster and other teachers said that they had no idea what had happened and that they would keep an eye on me, but they never did” Sherlock was crying, but he hadn’t noticed, the flood gates had finally opened and he could remember his brother’s face, fear and concern written in his every feature.

“After the beating Mummy decided that it was best for us to share a room, but the school never did as asked. I was supposed to socialise with my roommate, but the age difference was quite substantial, I was six, and already in year three and he was not only my classmate and my roommate, but my bench-mate. Charles Wilks; he was nine and he tortured me; he was the first to call me a freak, and at every opportunity he had he would punch me, trip me over, simply, torture me. That’s when my insomnia really kicked and I would spent many hours at night fearing he would kill me like he promised every night before going to bed, or to find my teeth hanging from his neck, like he promised every morning, or my head hairless, like he promised every time we had to shower. I couldn’t sleep or eat, and I was losing weight. Mycroft noticed and during Christmas vacation he mentioned it to Mummy and Father but they dismissed his concern and said that it was because I missed home and nothing more” Sherlock had his eyes closed and could see Charles’ face mocking him

“By half term, Mycroft was even more concerned, not only I had lost weight and I wasn’t sleeping, but I was ill tempered all the time, and was taking my frustration on things, breaking lamps, books, windows, you name it. I made a daily trip to the headmaster’s office and I spent half my free time in detention, cleaning black boards, you name it. I was silent too, because Charles would threaten me with whatever came to his twisted mind if I ever decided to talk. He would act all polite and welcoming whenever Mycroft visited, and after my brother was gone he would treat me like a pet, he would beat me and then lock me in the dark until I stopped crying. I was never afraid of the dark, I felt safe because I would be left alone, so I would never stop crying. The week we came back from half term, Mycroft noticed the way I flinched when Charles walked past by me and he told our parents, but again, they dismissed it” Sherlock could see the anger in Mycroft’s eyes, the disappointment he felt at their mother’s dismissal, the pain that flared in those now cold eyes.

“The night before the beating, Charles came to me and told me that I was going to pay for what I had done. I had no idea what he was talking about, but it transpired years later during a terrible argument I had with Mycroft, and that ignited my hate towards my brother even more. He had threatened Charles and Charles believed I had told something to my brother. He called several of my class mates and they kicked me and punched me relentlessly until I stopped moving. I remember opening my eyes and my parents were standing right in front of me with the headmaster, questioning me, but I never said a word, until Mycroft saw Charles hitting me and came barrelling in and pushed the boy from me. He called the headmaster and Charles was expelled from school; they called my parents and they decided it was best for me to have a private room, since they didn’t want me sharing a room with Mycroft. Nevertheless; Mycroft stayed with me every night and read me stories and played with me, that is until he left for University and I was left by myself” Sherlock felt the urge to call Mycroft and tell him everything he felt

“Mycroft took upon the task of teaching me to defend myself. He decided I needed to learn how to fight and he called some favours and a friend of his taught me to box. I was quite grateful to my brother, because he spent all his free time with me and it was exhilarating. He was my big brother, taking care of me, being by my side, and I felt really grateful. Sadly it all went downhill after he went to University, because my parents got Redbeard and I kind of forgot about Mycroft, but not because I didn’t love him, but because it hurt so much seeing him go, leave every time” Sherlock was shivering, not because it was cold, but because it was hard to remember how he felt about his brother, the deep love he felt and the need to be loving and caring towards Mycroft

“Have you ever told him?” John asked after listening to him intently; feeling every emotion, from rage to relief, from gratitude to absolute hate “What happened to the boys that hit you?”

“No. Never. I tried once, I was at a dose house, and Mycroft just nodded and had me dragged outside and pushed into a car. After that I stopped trying, we had a terrible row, again, about him meddling in my life, he made Victor disappear, and he told me all about Charles and what he had done. He also said that he had taken care of Charles and the other boys. I think they might be somewhere, I really don’t know. The time I tried to tell him how I felt, and express my gratitude, I was at a dose house and he just went in and asked for the list. I thanked him and he never answered… Another one of my dealers vanished, a man I was quite fond of, Mycroft made him disappear and I was angry at him, after that there was no turning back”

“You were… fond… of your dealer?” John swallowed hard, feeling jealousy cling to his stomach

“Yes. It wasn’t love, I liked him, I enjoyed our conversations; and the occasional… intercourse” Sherlock cleared his throat “And of course, the drugs. Unlike Victor, that took without asking, he… Andrew… swoon me… and it was just a matter of time before we ended up…” Sherlock waved his hand in the air and looked down “I’m not ashamed, it wasn’t healthy, I know, but he… cared for me; he called Lestrade after I ODed and he made sure that whatever I bought was pure” John snorted and the sound made Sherlock look up

“A knight in shining armour” John muttered “The hero…” he had let go of Sherlock’s hand. Sherlock simply stood up and left John with Bell; he needed to walk for a while, let the story sink in, but at the same time he needed to think. ‘Should I trust John? Does he deserve to be trusted? Should I keep sharing my innermost secrets?’ He had listened to John talk about his philanderer ways, and even proposed an experiment; Sherlock was amused by John’s story and respected him, that was the agreement they had reached before their anniversary, and yet again, John reacted badly to Sherlock’s story. Sherlock walked away, he needed to be alone, it was hard for him to open up about his relationship with his brother, to tell John what had happened and how, Sherlock was disappointed. He walked to the tiger encasement and waited, if John knew him, he would find him.

John was left dumbfounded in his seat, sure, he was jealous, and Sherlock was just being honest ‘When the fuck am I going to learn?’ John berated himself. He pushed Bell’s buggy and went to the tiger encasement. He knew how much Bell loved tigers and he knew, somehow, that Sherlock would be waiting for them there ‘please be there, please be there, please be there’ John was mentally begging and kicking himself, as he readied his knees to grovel and ask for forgiveness. He found Sherlock looking silently at the tigers, lost in thought. John sat next to him and allowed the younger man to be apart, begging to all the gods he knew for Sherlock to make the first move, or at least, for Sherlock not to reject his attempts to beg for forgiveness

“My second mission to Kandahar was a rescue one” John began “I had a “friend” of sorts; he was in nursing school and was just appointed to my unit. He kept calling me “Cap” and everyone in the unit started calling me the same. One night he… well… we were at the mess and he… he was a bit drunk and he… he made a proposal to me, he leaned close to my ear and asked me to meet him behind the quarters, he flashed a condom and a bottle of lube in front of me and left. I left him waiting there and never addressed the issue, not with him, nor with my unit. I simply left him there and went to sleep. The next morning we were sent to Kandahar on a rescue mission. I was supposed to lead my unit during a hostage situation, negotiate their liberation and bring the kidnapped unit home” John made a walk with his fingers over the bench and rested his index finger close to Sherlock’s knee while he talked

“When we arrived to Kandahar, the Taliban opened fire against my unit, I began to give orders and I sent Edwards, that was his last name; and Jones over to the roofs, to gain higher ground, while I covered lower ground with Jeffries, Stevenson and Phillips. Once they reached the roofs, Jones said to the radio “Nancy’s up”. I made a mental note to chastise Jones later, because at the moment we were under heavy fire, but the insult kept ringing on my ears, because that’s how my father referred to gay men and the name I used at school to refer to my gay school mates” John looked to the floor, he was ashamed “I was a bully at school. I needed a way to relief my pain; one was shagging girls and the other one being an arse to younger kids. I learned the hard way, though, because I had to defend a dear friend, I had to defend Clara, from idiots that called her awful names and shout abuse to her endlessly” John’s fingers travelled up and he was touching Sherlock’s knee with his index finger

“After I joined the army my ways had changed, I was protective and considerate, to everyone. My sister became a drunk after her first girlfriend ended their relationship, after berating her and telling her that the only way they’ll be together was if she came out to our parents; and of course after my father kicked her out of the house, her girlfriend took her back after a while and she would call me whenever Harry was too drunk to even think and I would help her inside the house, I was twelve and all she repeated was that she loved her, that she was taking care of her, that that was the reason why she always made sure to call me and hand me my drunk sister…” John sighed he was letting all out “In the end, her ex left her alone outside the house after shouting some abuse to my sister, amongst other terrible names… and all my father did was call her the “queer dyke” all the way out the house, again” John rubbed his face with his free hand while the other was held tightly by Sherlock

“While I was under heavy fire, and while I should have been worried more about the bullets flying by my ears, I couldn’t stop thinking about the day my father called Harry… that… And I felt responsible for Edwards and the way my unit, MINE, was treating a fellow soldier, a man that preferred the company of other men, and was ostracized for that. I wanted to yell at Jones and apologise to Edwards, I wanted to say to him I was flattered and thank him for the interest and then say no, but at the same time I was trying to concentrate and fire, I shouted orders here and there, and then Jones announced that Edwards was down, he didn’t even used his last name, he simply said “Nancy’s down”. He died protecting me, the unit, and not even in the end he gained the respect of the company, I never had the chance to apologise, or even talk about what had happened, not even to thank him and then refuse his advances, I just acted like a royal prick” John was leaning closer, slowly while he talked, until his head was resting on Sherlock’s shoulder and the detective was letting him

“I’m a jealous man… And I feel this need to protect you from whatever harm may come your way. I know you were young, and yes, as you said, that… relationship… wasn’t healthy, and you have a past, just the way I do, mine is probably more… promiscuous… than yours… but I can’t stop thinking that you’re mine, just mine, and the thought of someone else being with you that way… shagging you senseless, kills me” John was being absolutely honest “You’re the first and only for me Sherlock. I can’t be a delusional moron and think I’m the first and only, and I’m not that old-fashioned, but…”

“You’re the first and only I have ever truly loved” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “And for what matters, you’re the first and only in many things and many ways, John. Besides, with… him… I was more the shagger than the shaggee” Sherlock kissed John’s temple and could see his eyes widening and questioning him “Can I trust you won’t get mad with what I’m about to tell you?”

“Of course, yes”

“Janine wasn’t my first woman, but was the last” John made his -WHAT THE FU…- face and Sherlock just put his hand up “I never showed any interest, mostly sexual interest on women, I find most of them dull, but in University I was curious to see what all the fuss was about and decided to experiment, and that’s how I confirmed I like men more. I had two female sexual partners, I was seventeen with the first and eighteen with the second, that’s why Victor and Sebastian wanted me to pick an easy lay because those two women told them about it” Sherlock explained trying to ease John’s surprise “And I never showed interest on men either, until I met Victor. I was sent to a boy’s school but I never imagined myself being “the boyfriend” to any of my classmates, sex was off the book and though I did received several proposals, both from men and women; it never interested me, until University, mostly out of experimentation. I wasn’t even nineteen when Victor… And after that I was twenty one when Andrew, and we did it just a few times, I wasn’t really interested, it was more out of commitment, nay, obligation, than anything else. Of course I was fond of him, but there was never love, he wasn’t really a friend, but he seemed to care… And the women, well, as I said, experiments… A few times to prove certain theories”

“And what was that about sir shag-a-lot?” John was really curious about what Janine had published

“She heard from The Woman that I was a virgin, The Woman assumed that because I never showed any interest in “having” her I was either a virgin or afraid of sex, but that wasn’t the case, I just simply didn’t care about it, an unnecessary use of brain energy… then, of course” Sherlock corrected before offending John “Janine was quite surprised when I showed her that not only I knew what and how to do it but how thorough I could be. And she was more than willing to experiment, not only to know how far I would go, but to live some of her fantasies…” John was almost purple “I’m sorry John… I shouldn’t…”

“Did you do to her what you do to me?”

“No. I never made love to her, so no, I never did to her what I do with you”

“The day I found you in that drug den and she went in the shower with you, did you and her…?”

“Yes, John. She was, after all, my girlfriend, and I had to act as the proper boyfriend, though we were really sleeping together just a few days, a week or two”

“Did you…”

“I regretted it immediately. That’s why I was doing drugs too. I needed to forget about you, and solve a case. The woman called me to see how I was coping with everything and she suggested I try and find someone else; when she found out that I was dating Janine she called and I told her all about Magnussen and she understood; she said that I needed to let you go, that I had to find a way to let you go. I could see you were hurt when you saw her kissing me and sitting on my lap and I wanted to scream, tell you that I was in love with you and kick her out, kiss you and ask you to stay, but Mary texted you… and you left…”

“That’s not what I meant to ask, but it’s good to know” John blushed and smiled “I was wondering if you went to meet her family and if you took her to your home”

“Yes, I met her family and she met mine, the idea was to convince her that the relationship had a future. Although it was Mycroft who introduced her to my parents; they came to visit after your wedding, Mummy was convinced that I was about to die of a broken heart, she was quite surprised when she saw Janine at Baker, although Mummy knew immediately that I wanted nothing with Janine, but she played along, just like my father did, the only one out of the blue, even if he were a little suspicious, was my brother, he was too busy trying to stop Magnussen. That’s why he was so eager to stop me”

“I’m sorry Sherlock”

“Whatever for?”

“Acting like a prick…” Sherlock’s expression changed from one of understanding and love to one of hurt and disappointment

“That night in Vienna, before our anniversary; we came to an agreement. As I told you before, you are free to leave whenever you seem fit; I’m not going to beg for you to stay, and I also told you that the only result of your actions will be me not telling you a lot of things. You reacted differently, and I see why you were upset, but at the same time, I don’t want to apologise for every choice I’ve made throughout my life. Can I trust you John?”

“Of course you can!”

“Then fulfil your promise and have the courage to accept my past the same way I’ve accepted yours. If you’re not willing to accept me for who I am and the choices that made me, then you should leave, because there is no way you’ll get to know me if you don’t accept that I am the result of my past choices. I can’t force you to stay with a man that you cannot trust or that you cannot accept or respect, it will only lead to heartbreak and hurt; not being able to tell you all about me, as you requested, not being able to trust you with my life, either past or present, could only mean I can’t trust you with my future. I love you John, you’re everything to me, but I’m not willing to stay with a man that could never accept me and let my past be what it is, my past… That complains, rejects, mocks and even finds stupid every choice I’ve ever made”

“I…” John was speechless; he had reacted poorly, again, and Sherlock was being so calm and so loving. ‘I’m going to lose him’ John thought

“Perhaps some time apart could be a good idea. I should give you time to think about what I’ve said” Sherlock could feel his chest tightening, he barely managed to speak and he was certain he could hear his heart breaking and his stomach dropping low, he could feel a shiver run down his spine, but he had to do it; John needed to sort out his feelings towards Sherlock’s past, and he had to do it before they left Europe. He stood from the bench they’ve been sitting and was about to walk away when he felt John’s hand in his, grabbing him tightly 

“Please, don’t” John managed; he too was having difficulty breathing. He had decided that night in Vienna that he was willing to hear whatever as long as it meant he was going to spend the rest of his life with Sherlock; he needed to learn how to control his rage and anger, he had made a promise, many promises, and so far he hadn’t fulfilled any. John could feel the blood in his veins running cold and a cold sweat breaking through his forehead, his stomach felt empty and he wanted to vomit, his heart was trying to escape his chest.

“John…” Sherlock pulled his hand free and grabbed John by the shoulders “Am I your husband?”

“Forever”

“For better or for worse?”

“Forever”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes”

“Take me home?”

John stood and hugged Sherlock. He entwined their fingers and watched how their hands fit perfectly; he kissed Sherlock’s hand and took his time to kiss each finger. He needed to sort things out and listen. They walked for a while before Sherlock faced John at the Zoo gates

“Would you have gone to see…? Edwards was it? Behind the quarters?”

“No. I did wanted to talk to him and thank him for the interest, but I was currently dating a nurse, she was part of the staff at Bastion, my unit did mention that I had a secret admirer, Jeffries said that Edwards was attracted to me, but I never took him seriously until that night at the mess”

“And did you ever felt attraction towards a man?”

“Twice” John blushed hard “Three times if I count you…”

“James Sholto and?”

“How?”

“The way you looked at him at your wedding… He broke your heart”

“No. I broke his”

“You did?”

“Yes. He… Well, one night at the mess we were talking about crushes. I had a crush on a boy when I was fifteen, he was at my school and he was… cute; but my father was drilling my head with ideas about not being a Nancy and I rejected the feeling and started dating his sister instead. James and I were… confidants… And he told me he had a crush on a guy on our regiment, and I was curious. He asked me if I had a crush on someone on our regiment and I said a few names, all women, and he asked if I had a crush on a man, I was half kidding when I told him that he was attractive and that if I ever were interested in dating a man he would be choice number one. Then he sort of confessed between laughs that he actually found me quite attractive, that I was the guy he had a crush on and I got really scared. He asked me to consider and I agreed but… a week later all hell got loose and I told him that I could never be with him, that I wasn’t “that way”. He just left… and by the end of the week he was blown up and a few weeks later I was shot and that was it”

“Did you ever wonder…?”

“Yes, after I met you. You made me wonder, my head was full of “what ifs”. I tried to contact James, I wrote to him a couple of times and in the end I made amends with him. He answered the last email saying that all was forgiven and forgotten, that he had been following our career and that he was glad I was dating you. I told him that I wasn’t and he stopped answering my emails. After my wedding, he wrote to me, saying that he was glad I had such a “good friend”” John quoted with his fingers “And that he hopped I would be able to find happiness with my choices, I was outraged and sent him a rather offensive and irate email, I was utterly surprised when he appeared at our wedding”

“I went to visit him at the hospital after your wedding” John looked at Sherlock with a bewildered expression “We talked for a long while, he said that he did fell in love with you, your kindness, your sweetness, but that it was confusing for him, that it was the first time he had felt something like that; that he was scared at first and he thought it was because he was surrounded by men most of the day, that he tried to date a few fellow soldiers, females, but you were on his mind all the time. He said that you had told him that you found him attractive and that he got scared and ran away from you. Apparently he lied to me, probably that was his way to excuse you from your choices, making me think that because he broke your heart you weren’t amenable to a relationship with me, or any man for that matter” Sherlock sighed, he remembered the conversation, James had told him to go for it, to tell John he loved him, and Sherlock reminded James that he did, in fact, told John that he loved him, but John was to wrapped up in the excitement of the day to even notice that his best man speech was more a declaration of love than anything else

“So that’s why he wrote to me…” John stated

“I surmise. I’m sorry John”

“Sorry? I’m the one who should be apologising here, not you”

“I intruded in your life, that’s why I’m sorry”

“And I’m a prick, so I’m sorry too”

“We should stop apologising…” Sherlock proposed

“I totally agree. You have to tell me, though…”

“What?”

“That you might say something that could upset me; I’m not made of stone, I have feelings, I feel rage, anger, pain, I hurt when you hurt and I want to kill the ones that have hurt you. I know I reacted poorly, especially after the way I acted when you told me about that fucker… Trevor… and this thing with your dealer shouldn’t have upset me so much, but the idea of someone, anyone, allowing you to OD, or providing you with drugs to kill that beautiful brain of yours… It just kills me, Sherlock. I’m a right arse, I know, but just for this once, walk in my shoes, imagine me, telling you, that I fucked the man that helped me get drugs as a way of thanking him, and then say that he cared for me, giving me the best drugs and then calling the police when I ODed”

Sherlock’s face contorted, a small “oh” forming in his lips “I…” Sherlock was at a loss for words, he acted like a prick too, and he had done a terrible thing, he had left John “I’m sorry for suggesting we needed time apart. I was selfish and I am very sorry John, I’ve hurt you. Please, tell me when I hurt you, but please, never let go of my hand if you’re angry, you letting go of my hand kills me; I feel rejected…”

“I’ll never let you go again” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand. They walked all the way to their hotel, pushing Bell’s buggy, never letting their hands go, enjoying the feeling of their fingers entwined, Sherlock enjoying the way John’s ring felt against his skin, John enjoying the feeling of Sherlock’s hand in his and the slight pressure of Sherlock’s fingers against his ring.


	49. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson April 3rd saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another case in Sofia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just re-watching Bones’ old episodes, when Temperance had to hide because Pelant made her appear as the guilty party with all the techy stuff he did, and how he left flowers as a threat. And also based on another series, I think CSI I don’t recall where the killer threatens to kill the couple unless the husband kills the wife…

**The hyacinth murders** (As usual, ask Sherlock first) ( **God John, can’t you think of cleverer names?** ) (Sherlock stop hacking my blog!)

I received a call a few days back. It was Sherlock asking me to come to Bulgaria for a case; he was waiting for me at Sofia and this time I had to travel with ~~our~~ **my** baby daughter since her mother was visiting some friends. ( **Good excuse for the photos John! S** )

The case seemed simple enough to solve in a couple of hours, but what started up as a four ended up being a ten, with both of us in hospital, two dead policemen, a shop in flames, an explosion and a murderer being killed by a marks ~~woman~~ **man**.

The murderer ~~, Anton Iliev,~~ had killed twenty eight people, fourteen men and fourteen women, over the past ten months; but just recently the news had transpired since there was nothing that linked the disappearances and the murders to one another, except the fact that they were couples and that they disappeared at the same hour of the day, six o’clock in the afternoon from bustling places, such as parks and streets, in plain view.

The case reminded me of our first case together. ~~I still can’t believe it’s been over seven years since that day, when I first met Sherlock and fell utterly in love with him.~~ The Pink Lady, and the cabbie ~~, the blessed cabbie,~~ that convinced them to take the pill by “talking” to his victims; this case was quite similar, but the murderer threatened to kill them both unless the man, be the husband or the boyfriend, killed the woman. So far none of the victims had incurred in that act of violence and they both were killed by the murderer, and the wife forced to watch how the murderer tortured the husband for disobeying.

Using the photographs from the last crime scene, Sherlock deduced that the male victim was tortured. The victim was skinned alive, his muscles cut and open with the same blade that was used to slash the skin. The precision of the cuts made us think that the killer probably was a doctor or a medical examiner; upon further analysis, we noticed that the murderer was not only an specialist in human anatomy, but was perfectly capable of maintaining the victim alive by applying enough drugs to their system for them to feel the pain, but not bleed to death until the woman asked to be killed to stop the torture.             

The killer had a way to keep the women’s eyes open, he would cut and cauterize the eyelids and have them watch the entire scene, as he cut and cauterized the men, turning them into nothing but a carved body. The murderer removed the internal organs one by one, starting with the liver, thus diminishing the bodily functions slowly, taking his time to torture both men and women. The women were executed, and he waited for the men to die, slowly and painfully, organ-less, then he’ll dispose of the men’s bodies, by feeding them to birds of prey and vultures at the Sofia Zoo; and throwing the women’s bodies to the closest river, due to the water damage, the police and the medical examiner never noticed that the women’s eyes were cauterized.

Another feature of interest ( **I never say that! S** ), poignant to the case, was that the day after the women’s bodies appeared, a purple hyacinth was delivered to the house of the victim, accompanied by a condolence note that simply said “Sorry for your loss”, the purple hyacinth meaning sorrow. Sherlock discovered the meaning of the flower when a rhododendron arrived to ~~our~~ **his** hotel room, he stayed up for two days, being his usual self, never sleeping, never eating, being at his Mind Palace checking every book on botany he had ever read, that is until he realised what it meant at the wee hours of the second morning. A rhododendron means danger. That same morning, a purple hyacinth was delivered to ~~our~~ **my** hotel room, and this time Sherlock paled, like he had never before, ~~our~~ **my** daughter was being threatened, the receptionist received the order to leave the flower directly in her cot.

A few hours later we received directions to go to a flower shop near the Central Sofia Cemetery. Fortunately ~~Iliev~~   **the murderer** had no idea that Sherlock knew the city like the palm of his hand, ~~and that he had spent a couple of nights at the cemetery when he was destroying Moriarty’s network~~ **he had memorized, during those nights trying to find about the flower, the entire map of Sofia and every possible hideaway, including Sofia’s Central Railway Station.** The note said that we were to meet at night, and that we must bring ~~our~~ **my** daughter and not to notify the police. Sherlock, of course, opposed to the idea, he would never endanger ~~our~~ **my** baby; for the second time since we started working together, Sherlock called the police and they were ready to help us; ~~our~~ **my** baby girl stayed at the hotel with ~~her loving~~ **(???)** ~~uncle Mycroft~~ security officials and we used a decoy to distract the murderer

No sooner we arrived, the man drugged us, dragging Sherlock away, tying him to a makeshift torture table, prepping his instruments for what he called, “the greatest vivisection of his life”, in my case, he tied me to a chair and I could see how he kept ~~our~~ **my** daughter’s buggy in sight. The drugs he used on me were less strong that the ones he used on Sherlock, since it took him longer to wake up and react.

 ~~Iliev~~ **The murderer** started cutting Sherlock’s clothes with a scalpel, and threatened with cutting my eyelids if I ever closed my eyes, he even turned the cautery on and turned to ~~our~~ **my** daughter’s buggy and burned some holes in it, to prove the instrument was hot. He threatened to burn her face if we complained or dared to talk. Sherlock and I just nodded and concentrated on gathering all the information we needed about the murders.

Sherlock’s skill to make people talk, even when he can’t ask, proved to be a success; the man gloated about killing the great detective and his companion like he had killed many others, and described, with great detail, while he cut Sherlock’s clothing, how he had killed each and every one of his male victims and how he had disposed of their bodies, explicitly explaining to which birds he fed their livers and to which he fed their hearts, and so on. With one glance, Sherlock made me look away to ~~our~~ **my** daughter’s buggy, having me pretend to be concerned for her, and the man approached me, hitting my face and cutting my shirt, describing thoroughly what he did to the women while the men squirmed and fought to be released, undressing them with the scalpel and having the men think that he was going to cut them. He made the men watch as he cut and cauterized the women’s eyes, and had them watch as he executed them with a single hit to the head, snapping their necks. 

Once we had gathered the information we needed, Sherlock used the appointed safe word, provoking the man once more. He turned to ~~our~~ **my** daughter’s buggy and placed the cautery on top of it without noticing the buggy lit on fire and accidentally tripping it over some alcohol gallons. Soon, the police team was inside the small shop, looking for us, and Sherlock barely managed to shout that we were on the shop’s basement before the man tried to stab him, at this, I lurched forward and knocked him, but the smell of the chemicals was burning our eyes. The man reached for a knife and one of the police officers that had entered the basement and was trying to untie Sherlock, was stabbed in the neck, causing him to bleed to death; the other police officer that was trying to untie me, was stabbed in the stomach and tripped over the fire that was spreading quickly over the small basement.

All happened in a blur; the marks ~~woman~~ **man** shot ~~Iliev~~ **the murderer** on the head, and a few seconds later a few police officers were dragging us and three bodies outside the burning building, before a loud explosion rattled the entire street. We were sent to hospital, and had to spend the night under observation because of the fire, some tests were ordered to prove that we weren’t poisoned by the alcohol fumes and they gave us some eye drops, to avoid any damage to our eyes that could have been produced by the same fumes. We were released from the hospital the next day. Sherlock and I parted ways in the afternoon, after all the paperwork and the insufferable interviews. Thankfully, the papers blurred ~~our~~ **my** daughter’s face and I was able to leave with her safe and sound.

( **My love, I would never let anything happen to our beautiful daughter. I swear this is the last time I put us in danger, I love you. S** )

(Love, I know that, occupational hazards. I love you. J)


	50. Don’t you dare threaten my Bell! March 30th to April 2nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You should have seen them, the guys, all heroes… like you Mister Holmes… It was great seeing them cry and yell, and scream, and bleed. And I kept cutting until one of them, usually the ladies, ended up asking to be killed to stop the torture… Which one of you will beg first? The “friend”? Or the husband?”
> 
> “Sherlock, please…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of casefic... Hope you enjoy it, and as always, thank you so much for reading. Love the comments and love you all!

They arrived to their hotel after a long walk and as soon as they entered the lobby, the night manager approached them and handed Sherlock a handful of messages. Sergei was looking desperately for Sherlock. Many of the messages stated that he had called Sherlock several times and was worried him.

Sherlock pulled out his phone and noticed that his battery had died out. They went up to their room and connected their phones immediately and as soon as Sherlock turned on his mobile, it chimed with the many messages left by Sergei

“Hi Sergei, this is Sherlock. What happened, are you okay?”

“Where have you been buddy?”

“Strolling. Why?”

“Can I come over?” Sherlock looked at John and John nodded

“Sure, when will you be here?”

“Five minutes, I’m just arriving to your hotel”

“Okay, bye”

They sat and waited for Sergei when Sherlock noticed that they had received a flower. There wasn’t a note attached to it, and Sherlock identified the flower as a rhododendron, it was quite beautiful and pink, but Sherlock made sure that Bell never went near the flower, since the plant is particularly poisonous. John made sure not to touch the leaves and disposed of the plant as soon as Sherlock made note that it was a very dangerous one.

A knock on the door signalled Sergei’s arrival to their room. The man at the door was accompanied by a young woman that even before the door was completely open, jumped to Sherlock’s arms and hugged him tightly. Galina sighed contently when she smelled Sherlock’s scent and stayed in his arms for a while until Isabelle made her appearance and demanded her father’s full attention

“Daddy!” She cried, propping herself between Galina and Sherlock. The little girl huffed and glared at the offending woman that was hugging HER daddy so closely

“Come here baby love!” Sherlock laughed heartily and picked his daughter up. She snuggled close to her father and nuzzled his neck, sighing happily.

Galina and Sergei’s expression was one of bewildered astonishment. They looked at each other and then at Sherlock and the little girl that curled up in Sherlock’s arms.

“Sorry, come here beautiful” John approached his husband and tried to pry Bell from Sherlock’s arms, but Bell curled up closer to her daddy, leaving John to attend the astounded guests “Please, come on in” John signalled to the living room at their suite. Sergei and Galina followed John inside the suite and Sherlock was left with an armful of Bell to deal with and close the door.

“Who…” Galina cleared her throat and nudged Sergei with her elbow. Sergei just moved to the side but he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Sherlock and the baby, and the man currently sitting next to their friend, with his hand over Sherlock’s knee and matching wedding bands.

“Are you breathing?” Sherlock asked; a wide and mischievous smile spread over his face, matching the one John had. They both nodded, no words made their way to their closed up throats “Let me introduce you my husband, John, and our daughter, Isabelle”

“I…” Sergei tried, but he just kept on staring at the family. He pulled his phone out of his trousers’ front pocket and dialled “Lara! What the hell?” They could hear Lara guffawing at the other side, a laugh filled with mirth “Why?” Sergei demanded, trying to regain his composure, they could hear a shriek on the other side as Lara continued laughing hysterically

“I told her not to tell, though she haven’t met Bell yet” Sherlock patted Sergei’s back and took the phone from his hands “I’ll make sure to send a video tomorrow” Sherlock said to the laughing woman on the other side and ended the call.

“Here” John offered some water to the petrified Galina and then helped Sergei sit next to her.

“T- T- Thank you” Galina stuttered and drank the whole glass in one go “Welcome” John took the glass away from her

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Sherlock sat again trying to put Bell in the floor, but finding the task impossible

“We…” Sergei was startled still. It took them a few more minutes to calm and gather their thoughts before either one of them could talk.

“You got married” Galina finally spoke

“Yup” Sherlock wriggled his ring finger

“And you are THE John Watson” Sergei finally shook John’s hand

“Yes. Nice to meet you” John returned the shake and turned to greet Galina properly, only to cause little Bell to lift her head and act possessively towards her Daddy John and jump to his arms, demanding his whole attention

“Sorry about that” Sherlock apologised “I don’t know what has come over her today” He patted Bell’s head and the little girl yawned

“If you don’t mind waiting for us for about an hour until we bathe her and put her to bed?” John asked and their friends nodded. They took their time bathing Bell and telling her a bedtime story, but Bell was restless and they had to keep her in their arms, taking turns to soothe her and not act rude towards their guests. While they bathed her they could hear their new friends exchanging impressions, still unbelieving of the fact that Sherlock Holmes was married and a father.

When they returned and Sergei and Galina had enough time to accept the facts and start a proper conversation; Sergei’s face told Sherlock almost everything, they had a case and it needed to be solved urgently.

“Have you eaten?” John asked politely

“No, but it’s okay” Galina smiled, John just nodded and called for room service, once the food was there, Sherlock stared at Sergei and the man began to talk

 “We have a case, and it involves you now; we’ve received a threat” Sergei handed Sherlock an envelope “Apparently the murderer thinks you’re here because of him” Galina paled, remembering the photographs “He sent us a picture of your daughter and your husband” Sherlock had the photographs in his hands, they were close ups of John holding Bell at the park that morning, one of Bell sitting on the ground and playing, one of Sherlock holding a sleeping Bell, and another one of the baby napping in her buggy while they walked by the zoo. John paled and squeezed Bell closer, kissing her sleeping form

“Care to fill me in?” Sherlock’s face changed, he was the cold machine that everyone knew, and no one would think it was his daughter who was being threatened

“This man, the murderer, we have no idea who he is” Sergei handed Sherlock the case folder “We fear that he has killed at least twenty people, maybe more. We’ve found thirteen women in the Iskar River, and no evidence connect them, except that they disappeared at the same hour, six o’clock in the afternoon, from the park or the zoo, every two or three weeks” Sergei explained “These women were last seen with their partners, but they are missing too, no one has heard of them, and they are nowhere to be found”

“Morgues? Hospitals?”

“Nowhere” Sergei shook his head

“Left the country?”

“No. No bodies, no notes, nothing”

“Any weird or strange facts?”

“Not that we know of”

“What’s this?” Sherlock pointed to a flower appearing on one of the photographs of the victim’s flat

“A purple hyacinth”

“Was there a note?”

“Where?”

“On the flowers?” Sherlock huffed impatiently

“Yes. It was a condolence note, nothing more”

“What did it say?”

“Sorry for your loss”

“Is there something on the card? An address or the name of the flower shop?”

“Nothing, why?”

Sherlock closed his eyes and began to think about every book he knew on botany. He identified both plants, the rhododendron and the purple hyacinth by family, type and subtype, the kinds of honey they could produce, the types of poison that could be obtained, how to prepare them, how to use them and other information, knowing all the time what each flower meant; thankfully, John hadn’t noticed the purple hyacinth at Bell’s cot.

“And why is he following me?”

“According to the note we received along with the pictures, the murderer thinks you’re here to find him, and as you can read, he says that he will kill your friend and his daughter before you get to him”

“Does he know we’re a couple?” John’s concern was palpable, and all Sherlock could do was hold John’s free hand on his and try to comfort him

“Not that we know of. The note only says “friend”, though the word is quoted. There is no mention of partner or husband” Galina clarified

“Are there any more crime scenes?” Sherlock went over and over the photographs in the file

“No. This is the first one; it seems he made a mistake. We found a young woman near the central station; she was thrown to the Perlovska and her body got stuck near the lines. We found an underground cellar, blood everywhere and it belonged to both the victim and her husband. Apparently she was just thrown to the river in a hurry; it was the day you arrived and the news made a big fuss about it”

“We had no idea that the news knew about us coming” John looked at Sherlock

“It was in the papers this morning, you both were seen when you arrived to the hotel” Sergei shoved a paper in Sherlock’s hand, and indeed, there was a picture of the three of them arriving at the hotel; John carrying Bell and Sherlock walking behind them, fortunately their car was somewhere else.

“Fuck” John muttered and threw the paper away

“And now the killer assumed I came for him, which means he made a mistake this morning, he was careless when he tried to get rid of the bodies, and that works for us” Sherlock steeped his fingers under his chin “I’ll go to the station tomorrow and I’ll check the crime scene” Sherlock stood from the dining table and went to the living room

“Thank you, dear friend” Galina smiled in his direction “You’ll have security all day long, and we have a plan, we’ll tag you and help you capture the murderer”

“Thank you” John squeezed her hand

“Brother” Sherlock greeted “You already know” He waited “Right” Sherlock ended the weird call, and as soon as he did, came a knock at the door. Mycroft was on the other side, with Tim, the agent that had played with Bell all afternoon, and a new agent that was there to keep them safe and follow them around. The first thing Mycroft did was get Bell from John’s arms and the baby squirmed a little before sighing softly and relaxing in her uncle’s arms.

The always cold Mycroft Holmes looked at her with a strange look, love, concern, worry, all at the same time… as he held her close “I’ll take care of her, brother mine” Sherlock did something uncharacteristic and patted his brother’s arm. Mycroft nodded and Sherlock led him to Bell’s room; in there, Sherlock hugged Mycroft and thanked him; Mycroft was shocked but returned the hug “We’ll talk later” Mycroft said, before placing the sleeping baby in her cot and retiring the purple hyacinth that was tied to it

“I know, but don’t tell John yet. I have to do it” Sherlock stroked Bell’s curly head “You’ll be staying here” He didn’t ask, he stated, and Mycroft nodded. Both men walked back to the living area and Sherlock took John to their room while Mycroft, Sergei and Galina planned how to take the murderer down; the new data brought by Mycroft, including the name and the address of the murderer helped them plan a better way to get him.

In their room, John listened to Sherlock explain the meaning of the flowers, he was enraged and wanted to kill the bastard, but Sherlock explained to him that Mycroft was in charge; they discussed about what should transpire in John’s blog and what not, leaving out of it Mycroft’s intervention and how fast Sherlock had actually solved the case.

They joined the others at the dining table and planned everything; they would wait for Anton Iliev, the murderer, to make the next move. Sherlock pretended to investigate the other murders for a couple of days, until they received another purple hyacinth and the note indicating where they must meet. Everything was planned, except the death of the two policemen and the murderer; fortunately for them, Sherlock gattered enough information to know how he had killed the couples and where they might find some of the men’s remains.

Anton Iliev was waiting for them at the store, and before they knew it, he rendered both unconscious. He used a small dosage on John and a rather large one on Sherlock; apparently he knew about Sherlock’s drug abuse and his dose was stronger. When John opened his eyes he was tied to a chair and Sherlock was tied to a table, facing him. The knots were strong, professional made, and he could see Anton standing next to Bell’s buggy, John distracted him before he noticed that it was a doll and not their little girl. He stirred as if waking up and called for Sherlock.

Anton walked over John, forgetting all about the baby and showed John his instruments, while bragging about him being the one that finally finished the great Sherlock Holmes and his friend. He even bragged about the way he was going to kill the baby before he killed them both; John had to distract him, looking defeated, beg for Sherlock to wake up, everything to keep the man away from the empty buggy. John had to endure a slapping but it was worth it as long as Anton kept his hands away from the buggy.

When Sherlock woke up he held an entire eye conversation with John. Anton just watched them and started to talk about his previous killings, how he had done it, why he chose those couples “they looked to happy” he said, scowling “almost too happy. I had to make sure they truly loved each other” he cut Sherlock’s shirt buttons with the scalpel.

“I was disappointed, they loved each other, they, the women, would scream and stare, as long as they could hold, until it was too much to watch me cutting them, the men, out, one even threw up; it was disgusting… I had to cut her tongue. In the end, before the final stroke, she practically drowned in her own vomit” Anton was laughing

“You think you could endure as much as the women did before I cut your eyelids?” He ran the cold scalpel against John’s cheek “One lasted until I took out the liver” He was grinning at the memory “She started yelling and calling her little love’s name, and the man, oh the man, he kept repeating that he loved her, that she should stay quiet and then she could leave… Fools” He cut Sherlock’s trousers button “That’s what love does, turns people into fools” His laughter was maniacal “You both love the baby, that’s why she must go first. Do you love each other?” Anton asked “Right, you’re not supposed to” he answered himself “You should have brought the wifey…” He sneered “No, wait, who’s the wifey here?”

Anton opened Sherlock’s shirt and John looked away, as agreed, Anton slapped him again and Sherlock grunted, getting back the murderer’s attention.

“You should have seen them, the guys, all heroes… like you Mister Holmes… It was great seeing them cry and yell, and scream, and bleed. And I kept cutting until one of them, usually the ladies, ended up asking to be killed to stop the torture… Which one of you will beg first? The “friend”? Or the husband?”

“Sherlock, please…” John looked at the buggy

“I told you to go to Sussex…” Sherlock inhaled sharply, feeling the cold metal over his stomach.

Less than a minute later there was a sound upstairs and John barrelled against Anton, knocking him against the already burning buggy. The first two officers came down and Anton made his way to them, he cut the one helping John and then barrelled against the one helping Sherlock, both men staggered to him and tried to prevent Anton harming either Sherlock or John until Galina came down the stairs and shot him in the middle of the eyes. A few more men came barging in and rescued both, they were already asphyxiating with the fumes.

The night at the hospital was restless and sleepless. Being under observation meant they had to be together but apart, and away from Bell. Mycroft made sure they had enough privacy to talk and evaluate the last few days, and even gave John his computer to write the intended blog entrance. As soon as the doctor came with their release papers, both men bolted out of their room and went to find their little girl being cared by her new “nanny”. As promised, Mycroft stayed with Bell and prepared Tim to stay with the couple as a permanent nanny and indoor security. Even though Sherlock scowled, he knew it was for the best, they understood that from time to time a little help was more than welcome, and it gave them the chance to do other things, besides taking care of Bell at every hour. 


	51. A brotherly bond. April 3rd to April 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluffly botherly love, Mycroft being a good older bother, and Sherlock being a good younger brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! Loving the kusdos, hits, bookmarks and comments. Love you all!

Mycroft stayed with them the next few days, creating a bond with his niece. Baby Bell was as sweet as Mycroft remembered and she had the British Government wrapped around her little finger. That afternoon, after they left the hospital, Mycroft and Sherlock left the hotel and went for a walk.

Sherlock took his brother to the zoo and sat in the same exact bench he had sat with John a few days earlier.

“I told John about Andrew and Victor” Sherlock looked at the tigers intently

“Everything?” Mycroft was playing with some invisible dust on his trousers

“Yes”

“And he reacted better than I did. I assume”

“Not really, he was as enraged as you were at the time”

“But you worked it out”

“Indeed we did”

“And we… us…?”

“I…” Sherlock cleared his throat “It’s not easy…” he looked at his nails as if all his courage was on them “for me to…” he sighed “tell you these things”

“Caring is an advantage, Sherlock” Mycroft reached for his brother’s hand and Sherlock allowed him

“I know that now, Mycroft”

“Gregory asked John to be his best man” Mycroft tried to get Sherlock to look at him and Sherlock did

“I know… You have a date”

“We do. September 10th. Would you be there?”

“Of course we will, what kind of best man would John be?” Sherlock tried to smile

“Would you be mine?” Mycroft looked at his brother hopefully   

“Really?” Sherlock looked wistfully. Mycroft nodded and followed his instincts hugging his brother for the second time in two days. Sherlock smiled and returned the hug

“Thank you” Mycroft whispered     

“Thank you” Sherlock burrowed further in his brother’s arms, enjoying a feeling he had denied himself for over twenty years

“John looks really happy. And so do you. Marriage does agree with you, little… Sherlock” Mycroft corrected and rubbed Sherlock’s back

“He is, we are, and it does. And Gregory is good to you too. I’m glad… Big brother” Sherlock squeezed Mycroft but didn’t break the hug

“I’m sorry…” Mycroft soothed

“Me too…” Sherlock sighed, but it was a content sigh

“I should have told you, asked you. But I wanted to kill everyone that hurt you. I’m sorry about Moriarty, Smith, about Victor, Andrew… I’m sorry about John”

“They had it coming, and so did I. John and I have discussed about everything, and just the other day I kept on thinking…”

“I know…”

“Mycroft, please…” Sherlock mumbled

“Sorry, little brother, do go on” Mycroft scooted closer, he didn’t want to let go

“I kept on thinking about what you did for me, for us. I tried to tell you I was thankful and you were too hurt to listen to me” Sherlock was feeling more relaxed with every passing minute “I’m thankful because you always were there. When Charles hurt me, you were there. I couldn’t tell you and he hit me because he thought I did, and you defended me” Sherlock felt like crying “And I never thanked you”

“I am your big brother, Sherlock, I… I…” Mycroft stuttered “I… I… love… you” Mycroft sobbed. This time Sherlock soothed his older bother

“And I love you; big brother” Sherlock was smiling but Mycroft couldn’t see it “Thank you. Would you be our kids’ guardian?”

“Kids?” Mycroft asked Sherlock’s neck

“Yeah, we want another”

“That would be… fantastic!” Mycroft was actually smiling

“I’ve done some research” Sherlock put some distance to look at his brother’s face “And I think we could have a child that’s from both of us”

“Have you found a surrogate?”

“Not yet, but… could you help us?” Sherlock held his brother close again

“Nothing would give me more pleasure. I’ll look into it and send you the best names” Mycroft squeezed his brother

“And surrogates?”

“I can do some check-ups and send you some files too; I’ll ask Number Four”

“Thank you, Mycroft” Sherlock sighed happily and settled his head on his brother’s shoulder

“I’m the one who should be thanking you… You know, for trusting me” Mycroft leaned his head on Sherlock’s

“I trust you with our lives” Mycroft stiffened, that was an unbelievable confession

“You… you…. do?” Mycroft’s voice trembled and Sherlock soothed him, one hand rubbing his big brother’s back

“We do. I do, and I know John does, even though sometimes we don’t see eye to eye” Sherlock chuckled

“I would like to have a talk with John” Mycroft sounded serious

“He’ll agree, don’t worry” Sherlock soothed again “As long as you don’t kidnap him again, he will talk to you” Sherlock laughed and made his brother laugh heartily

“Never again… he can be pretty scary” Mycroft contained a chuckle

“I’ll take you on that” Sherlock snorted

“Rest assured I would never do that again”

“It’s getting cold…” Sherlock shivered and Mycroft used his coat to embrace his brother

“We should go, John might worry” Mycroft sighed but didn’t attempt to move  

“So…? Cold and distant?” Sherlock asked his brother’s coat

“Cold and distant on three” Mycroft agreed. They squeezed each other for another three seconds before glaring playfully at each other

They walked back to the hotel, remembering about their childhood, confessing things to one another, Mycroft admitting he was jealous of Redbeard, Sherlock admitting he had missed Mycroft, talking pirate all the way. When John saw them he knew something had changed, but instead of bursting the bubble with a possibly snarky comment, he put Bell on the floor and had her walk to her father and uncle.

“Uncle Mycof!” Bell walked all the way to him with her arms up in the air. Mycroft smiled and refrained from correcting her about his name ‘in due time’ he thought to himself and carried up the little girl

“I made dinner” John pointed at the set table “so go wash up” He patted Sherlock’s butt and kissed him on the cheek. Sherlock obeyed and a few minutes later they were all enjoying a homemade dinner. Mycroft looked at his brother and couldn’t stop smiling

“I wish Gregory was here” Mycroft sighed, resting his head on his hands

“Your wish is my command, big brother” Sherlock winked and on cue, Greg appeared and joined them at the dining table

“You called him!” Mycroft was astounded

“Of course I did” Sherlock smiled and made John laugh

“Uncle Greg!” Bell climbed to his lap and settled there for the rest of the evening

“Hello gorgeous” Greg bounced her on his lap while he played with Mycroft’s fingers

“I assume we have a room” Mycroft rubbed his cheek against Greg’s shoulder

“Mycroft, please” Sherlock gaged but smiled

“Yes, we do babe” Greg kissed Mycroft’s forehead

“See, he lets Greg call him babe!” John mocked despair and sadness

“Yes dear…” Sherlock rolled his eyes.

They talked for a while and allowed Greg and Mycroft to bathe Bell. Tim took care of the baby that night while the two couples went out for a drink before returning to their hotel.

The next day, Sherlock and John shared some time alone while Greg and Mycroft took little Bell for a walk. That night, John and Sherlock made dinner and Sergei and Galina were invited too. They put Bell to sleep before Galina’s arrival, just to avoid her jealous behaviour towards Galina

“He told you all about his stance here?” Sergei asked John

“Yes, he did. Thank you for taking care of him” John smiled at them

“He was great” Galina was eyeing Greg hungrily “He is…” She licked her lips and both Mycroft and Sherlock noticed. Sherlock was glaring at her and Mycroft “talked” to his brother for a few moments before they both nodded and announced the date to Mycroft’s and Greg’s wedding

“I think we’ll be done with Europe by then” Sherlock nudged John to snap him back to reality

“Yeah babe, I think we would. And even if we’re not, I guess we can go back to old, cold London, to their wedding” John played along

Galina looked down, face flushed with embarrassment. She had been flirting with an engaged man! The dinner continued with laughter, stories about Sherlock’s time in Sofia, his capture, his release. Greg grimaced all the time, glaring occasionally to Mycroft. They had talked about Sherlock, his “death”, his return, and Mycroft’s participation. But it was different hearing it from the ones that had been there, and he could only imagine how John felt every time he heard the stories; but John seemed relaxed, calm, even…

At some point, Greg had heard enough and had to leave the table. Mycroft tried to get up but Sherlock looked at him and Mycroft allowed Sherlock to go after Greg

“I’m sorry Greg” Sherlock apologised from the door

“No. It’s fine…”

“You had your fair share of ugly after I…”

“Yes, but in the end you were proved right and that is what matters”

“But it was your neck under the axe”

“I believe in you. I know you. You’re my friend and I love you” Greg blurted out before he even realised what he was saying

“You’re my friend too Greg. I love you too” Sherlock smiled at his own honesty. Greg smiled and went over to Sherlock and hugged him. For once, Sherlock returned the hug

“You’re so full of surprises lately. Husband, father, friend. I like this side of you”

“So do I. But best not tell anybody” Sherlock grinned

“Our secret” Greg smiled back

“John knows everything. I tell him what happened in every country we visit, that’s why he looks relaxed, because he had time to process… things… stories…”

“I hope someday you can tell me”

“I will. Would you like for Mycroft to come and be with you?” He asked the still shaking DI

“No. I’ll just use the loo and then be back”

“Fine” Sherlock left Greg alone and returned to the dining table. He gave the thumbs up to his brother and Mycroft sighed in relief

By the end of the dinner, they parted ways and Sergei and Galina promised not to say a word, though they did promised to ask for photographs of little Bell to send to Lara “I’ll send some” John promised “I have a lot. Maybe we’ll see each other soon so they could meet her properly” Galina nodded and said goodbye to the happy couples; Sergei followed her closely and waved goodbye to his new friends.

The couples were left alone and they shared their last night in Sofia together, Sherlock telling Greg a short version of his stay in Europe and the two years away from John, John listening intently to his husband, picking on the new information, and relieving the old. Mycroft sat silently watching the exchange, feeling as guilty as Sherlock felt with the narration. By the end of the night, both brothers looked at each other and they led their partners to bed. Each other soothed, kissed, nuzzled, comforted and cared for their respective man, until they were asleep.

The brothers reconvened at the living room and shared a cuppa, watching the morning rise before their eyes. Silent agreement to protect their husbands and each other was made through glances and glares, until it was time for the Holmes-Watson to leave Sofia.


	52. Romania and the end of the man that threatened Hudders. April 6th to April 13th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Three bullets; three gunmen; three victims. There’s no stopping them now. Unless my people see you jump”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Love you all!!!

The trip to Bucharest was long. They departed in the late hours of the morning, after Sherlock slept for about an hour while John made breakfast for their guests. Sherlock knew that after a week in Romania he’ll have to decide whether or not going to Serbia first; he’ll have to discuss it with John, but he was certain that John will leave the ball in his court.

They left after lunch with Mycroft and Greg. Sherlock was driving like a maniac and let John know that just for today; they won’t be stopping anywhere until they arrived to Bucharest.

“But it’s over five hours!” John complained “Bell will be restless; we’ll be arriving well past seven”

“I know my love, but I’d like to arrive today. I’m actually tired and I don’t really feel like stopping anywhere” Sherlock seemed desperate

“There is something you’re not telling me…” John squinted. Sherlock sighed and nodded. John grabbed his free hand and gave him the -you better be honest with me- look “I call Vienna” John released Sherlock’s hand and slumped back in the seat folding his arms in front of his chest

“John, please…” Sherlock knew perfectly well that their “Vienna Clause” meant serious business and he’ll have to be honest whether he wanted or not

“Nope, babe” Sherlock rolled his eyes at the endearment but smiled

“I’ve been thinking about Serbia. We’re closer to Belgrade than we’re to Bucharest” Sherlock’s right hand shook slightly

“We agreed that Serbia should be left for last, love. We can go there after we come back from the rest of the world, just like we’d planned it. I don’t want you to feel stressed at all. And if you ask me, I’d rather not go. I don’t care…” John shrugged

Sherlock sagged in relief, he could feel the tension going out from his bones through his breath “Thank you” he whispered and John simply patted his hand. 

“So, are we going to stop somewhere, so you can just rest properly? Pretty please?” John batted his lashes

“Yes John, we can stop anywhere you want, as soon as you want me to stop I will” Sherlock mocked annoyance, but felt more relaxed than he had in hours.

“According to this map, there are several towns around here where we can stop. Pleven is halfway, we should stay there and leave early in the morning to reach Bucharest before noon” John looked at the road map he was holding, his tongue sticking out and his eyes squinting as he read the town information.

“Pleven it is, then” Sherlock sighed and continued driving. They arrived to their destination around four, just in time for Bell’s snack. They found a nice hotel close to the centre of the town and John decided they would stay in for the rest of the day; Sherlock needed to sleep and relax, and the only way John could get the Detective to do so was by taking him to visit the town and distract him from whatever was on his mind.

He found some old movies in the telly and pulled Sherlock to bed with him. They watched a movie before they called for room service, they followed their routine but for one night, they kept Bell with them in their bed; she was resting on her daddy Sher’s chest, deeply asleep, while John and Sherlock watched some more old movies, after the third, Sherlock was asleep, nestled next to John.

The next morning, not even Bell woke up at the planned hour; the three of them overslept and decided to stay in Pleven for a couple of days; Sherlock clearly needed to rest, and John wanted to bond with his husband and daughter for a few days without friends or foes, or even family; now John could understand why Sherlock usually dreaded the “f” word.

The town had several places of interest and they made their way through town in a lazy way, walking around, not working on schedule. They went to the zoo with Bell and walked around the small town for a while, walking hand in hand, sharing kisses and walking in silence. John didn’t want Sherlock suffering another episode, and Sherlock didn’t want John having nightmares, though for the last couple of days, those were frequent and tortuous, for both.     

The morning of their departure to Bucharest, Sherlock had the Serbia nightmare; he was being held by a large man, chained to the walls, his arms hurting, his back bleeding. He was hot, thirsty, hungry, and the man kept on asking about Moriarty. Sherlock was trying to stay awake, he hadn’t slept for almost four days, between the tortures and the interrogations, he was exhausted; he knew that if he fell asleep he would be awakened harshly, burned with cigarettes, or being hit with a paddle or a riding crop. All he could think about was John, his smile, his face, those beautiful eyes, and how much everything was worth as long as he was alive.

John was dreaming about the fall, but it was different, he was holding Bell, the baby was crying in his arms, crying for Sherlock, and all John could do was hold her close. He could see Sherlock fall, slowly and painfully. He tried to run but his feet were melted into the pavement, Bell was heavy and he was wearing a vest made of C4; several red lights were spotted at him and Bell, suddenly he was shot, Bell falling from his arms and hitting the curb at the same time as Sherlock did.

They both awakened at the same time, sweating and calling each other’s names, startling a sleeping Bell and making her cry. They both looked at each other and immediately soothed the little girl.

“Serbia…” Sherlock sighed

“The fall…” John closed his eyes and searched for Sherlock’s pulse in the dark

“I’m here, John” Sherlock breathed slowly, one hand over Bell’s back, the other in John’s chest

“I know” John reached for Sherlock’s chest and covered Sherlock’s hand with his over Bell. They both reached for their feet under the sheets and soothed the baby until she was fast asleep again. By six in the morning, Sherlock had dressed Bell and John had packed everything in their car, he wanted to be in Bucharest before noon. They stopped at Giurgiu for Bell’s snack and arrived in Bucharest for lunch.

The hotel owner was waiting for them and they were promptly showed to their room. The hotel owner, a nice man in his early sixties was one of the many persons Sherlock had helped during his… hiatus…

“Mister Holmes! I’m so glad to see you” The man greeted “Your room is ready; we’ve prepared everything for you and your family”

“Thank you Emil. I really appreciate it” Sherlock smiled at the man that had invited himself in and was showing them the way he had arranged their suite

“We’ve placed a cot for the young lady in the studio, and as you requested, the bathtub has all the oils and scents you asked for”

“Thank you very much. By the way, you should charge the room to this credit card” Sherlock handed the man a black card but Emil refused to take it

“My treat” the man shook his head “After all, I owe you my life, and because of you I have my wife and kids back” The man was practically crying “I also made the arrangements for your visits to the museums and the zoo. And the dinner with your associates will be held at the Concerto for the night after tomorrow” The man handed two room cards to Sherlock. 

“Thank you” John shook Emil’s hand and led him to the door. “You have to tell me what you did, because this room is unbelievable” John looked around and took in his surroundings

“Nothing big” Sherlock shrugged “Just saved his family. His wife and kids were kidnapped”

“Nothing big?” John chuckled “You… amazing man!” John approached Sherlock and snogged him until they could barely breathe.

“John…” Sherlock sighed and embraced his husband closer, pushing him slowly to the nearest sofa. Unfortunately, Bell was hungry and moody, so she protested for the lack of attention and started crying

“Tonight?” John asked; disappointment clear on his voice. The last week they had barely had time to share with each other, with the case, Greg and Mycroft in their room, the hospital stay and with Bell sleeping between them for the past three nights.

“I hope so…” Sherlock deflated “Let’s go loves. Much too see, little time to do so”

John’s shoulders slumped and he simply followed his husband out their room. Yes, they had a “nanny” but it wasn’t as useful as they imagined. They couldn’t leave Bell with Tim just to go and shag each other senseless, could they?

Their first stop was a restaurant near the National History Museum. Sherlock had warned John in advance that, much to his displeasure, and unlike Bulgaria, Romania still had issues about gay couples, so they’ll have to refrain from public displays of affection, being and Orthodox country they had to be careful, it was for the best. Fortunately they’ll only be in Bucharest for a couple of days and then they’ll be going to Ukraine.

At the museum Sherlock found ways to touch John all the time, he needed the physical contact as much as John did, and since they couldn’t hold hands, he managed to touch his shoulder or his knee, his arm or his hand by handing him things or leading him through the museum. John was grateful to his husband; it was hard knowing that they could be in danger for being together.

“We should leave our talk for our room” John said while they walked back to their hotel

“I think is for the best” Sherlock was annoyed, people kept on staring at them because he was holding John’s arm

“Don’t worry my love” John flashed his best smile “as soon as we arrive to the hotel we can do as we please. I’m so grateful you have friends that protect us, like Emil”

“Yeah…” Sherlock tried to smile, but the situation was simply annoying

As soon as they arrived to their hotel, a nice dinner was waiting for them. They fed Bell, bathed her and put her to bed, and as soon as she fell asleep, John took his husband to bed and kissed him until they both fell asleep. The next morning Tim took care of Bell and allowed the couple to sleep a few more hours. By the time of Bell’s morning snack, they were headed to the Bucharest zoo and they simply walked around the park in silence, watching Bell as she ran through the park and enjoyed watching the animals. In the afternoon, after lunch, Sherlock took John to a cemetery and showed him where he had slept during the two weeks he had to stay in Bucharest; he also took John to the train station and showed him “his” bench.

John simply listened; he knew this was Sherlock’s way to prepare him for the worst. As soon as they arrived to their hotel, Sherlock fed and bathed Bell and played his violin for her. He also ordered some room service and prepared and asked for some hard liquor. He prepared a bath for the two of them and handed John a tumbler full with scotch. 

“That bad, huh?” John took a sip of his drink and leaned closer to Sherlock

“Sort...” Sherlock sighed and caressed John’s arm

“Go” John closed his eyes and prepared his mind to listen the horrors his husband had to go through

“Lucien and Julian are my contacts here in Romania. Lucien works with Interpol and Julian with the local police; he’s a DI, like Greg, almost as good as Greg is” John chuckled and shook his head, Sherlock surprised him every day “I arrived from Kiev in the early hours of the morning; there are no trains between countries, so I had to switch cars and transports about five times. It was a really long trip, over fourteen hours, but it gave me time to think, strategize, and follow the men I was looking for” Sherlock sighed

“Men? What men?”

“I never knew their names until I found them, I’d been following them since Germany; one was Moriarty’s right hands, he was in charge of killing you, his name was Moran” John shivered at the name “The other one, I never knew his real name, they called him “The Plumber” … he was supposed to kill Hudders, they led me to Serbia” Sherlock’s hand shook slightly and John took it and kissed each finger “I lost track of them before I left to the Netherlands and got back on track while I was in Belarus” John could feel Sherlock shivering, so he decided it was time to leave the tub, not because Sherlock was cold, but because he needed to be even closer to Sherlock, soothe him in a proper way.

Sherlock allowed John to dry him and led him to their bed; once there, John pulled Sherlock to his chest and played with his curls “Do you want to keep on talking, or do you want to sleep?” John’s voice sounded concerned

“I’d like to finish talking” Sherlock kept on shivering and John checked he wasn’t feverish “We have dinner tomorrow and the day after we’ll be leaving for Kiev” John patted Sherlock’s shoulder as a silent sign for him to keep on talking “The moment I arrived, Lucien and Julian were waiting for me at the Kretzulescu Church, the one I showed you yesterday, close to the museum” Sherlock could feel John nodding “They had some documents for me, some fake ID’s and passports. I was given a folder with very valuable information that I had to memorize fast. Number Four had delivered the information about Moran and “The Plumber”. She also had some info on the team at the pool, and…” Sherlock shivered once again, his body shook violently, but he wasn’t feverish he was feeling sick because now that he connected all the dots he knew that Mary was the one holding the aim at John’s chest

“And what love?” John held Sherlock closer and pulled the duvet over his shoulder

“I received a file about a woman, a gun for hire, she had changed her name several times and there were no photos of her, so I didn’t know it was her, I just realised it was her… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry John” Sherlock was sobbing, he had realised, almost too late that Mary was at the pool

“Sherlock…” John pulled him up and stroked his cheek “Stop please. I don’t need to know” John was concerned, scared, he didn’t want Sherlock having an episode

“It was her… Mary…” Sherlock finally confessed “I just realised it, she always used the same initials, either AGRA or MM. She tricked me into believing she had no idea I was alive when I came back, but I’m sure she knew all the time. I was a fool… And now that I think of it, she probably “appeared” in your life the moment she found out I was alive” Sherlock still shivered but the sobs were contained, now that he could feel John’s breath on his neck

“It was right after the first anniversary of your “death”… We sort of bumped into each other and there she was, the new nurse at the surgery, all concerned about me, my wellbeing, you name it… She even took interest in hearing my stories about you; how we met and everything” John sighed heavily, he was being used by a woman that probably wanted Sherlock dead since who knows when

“She did love you, John” Sherlock could feel nausea overtaking his body

“Yeah, right… And I’m Mother Therese” John snorted

“I’m sorry my love” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek

“No… You don’t get to be sorry… She tricked us both… but that’s enough of it. It happened how it happened and that is it” John shook his head and snuggled closer to Sherlock. Sherlock leaned in to John and breathed him, feeling the waves of nausea subside little by little

“I lost track of her after I left to Japan. I guess she knew I was alive all the time, but they lost track of me in Okinawa, and when I arrived to America no one knew I was alive except for Mycroft and Number Four, the others found out I was alive when the whole network looked for me in Serbia” Sherlock shuddered again “I guess she thought I had died in Serbia” Sherlock could only hope “After they handed me the file they said she went rogue after Moriarty’s death and that she had taken upon her the task of finishing up the heads of the network. I was supposed to find her, but she was hard to follow, so Number Four and Mycroft decided to wait and see what she would do next but she went under the radar the moment I arrived to the States, it was right about the time you met Mary, close to the first anniversary of my death, before your birthday…”

“She had planned it all along…” John sounded disappointed “Perhaps she wanted to make sure I didn’t know about your plans”

“Perhaps she wanted to make sure I had nothing to return to…” Sherlock was crying and John simply held him even closer, placing soft kisses to his cheeks and eye lids “I’m sorry John… so sorry”

“I just said…” John sighed “I love you, Sherlock. I always have and always will, so of course I forgive you” He stroked Sherlock’s head. John could feel Sherlock relax immediately; it was actually the first time he had said the words, he had forgiven Sherlock a long time ago but he hardly ever said it to him

“Thank you” Sherlock breathed “Thank you” Sherlock kissed John deeply “Want to hear the rest?” John nodded “Well… the week I spent here was rather eventful. No sooner I arrived I had to follow a few leads, I ended up in a basement, near the metro station, they questioned me for two days, and I spent a few hours at the hospital. The torture wasn’t as bad as it was in other places but I was enraged. I killed a man with my bare hands, I had to…” Sherlock was shivering again “He was… he tried to… I…” Sherlock covered his face with his free hand

“We should sleep, you can tell me tomorrow. We can stay here at the hotel and we can talk all you want love; don’t worry” John tried to sooth him and started kissing him everywhere he could, from his cheekbones to his shoulders, until Sherlock relaxed in his arms

“He… he… tried… to… rape… me” Sherlock said between sobs

“He did what?” John got possessive and practically sat on top of Sherlock

“He tried to rape me…” Sherlock whispered, he had it all out, finally “I had completely forgotten about it, I thought I had deleted it, but the moment I saw the metro station I remembered everything, it all came running to me in bits and pieces” Sherlock was shivering and John kept on peppering his head with little kisses “He tried and I had to defend myself. He hit me first and tried to choke me while I was on the floor, he undid my trousers’ button and I lost it. I hit him hard in the face and choked him to death. I was enraged, tired, all I wanted was to come home to you…” Sherlock started sobbing and got even closer to John, burrowing his head on John’s neck

“It’s okay love, you’re home now. It’s over, and I don’t need to hear about it anymore” John reassured a shaking Sherlock “We can talk about it tomorrow, or cannot talk about it ever again; whatever you need”

“I broke his hyoid” Sherlock’s voice was trembling “After I realised what I had done I tried to resuscitate him. Julian tried to help but there was nothing to do. Lucien took me to a hospital to make sure I was okay. I was covered in blood, he hit me and broke my nose and my head hit the floor and lacerated my left brow. They made sure I didn’t have a concussion and off I went to my next stop. As I told I arrived to Sofia in the early hours of the morning, Lucien drove all night and left me near the church where I met Sergei and Galina. Much like Sofia, Jacques, Gustav and Number Four, Lucien is one of Mycroft’s men. He was Mycroft’s contact with the others; he kept me updated about the London situation and he was the one that followed Mary after she shot me”

“Did he…?” John’s hand stilled on Sherlock’s head

“No, he didn’t. Mycroft never told who did it; he just said that “her past caught her” and that was it. Anthea shot her, but I don’t really see how Anthea is Mary’s past”

“I thought it was some leftover of Moriarty’s”

“If it were for him, he would have killed her without that much show… Besides, James Moriarty was obsessed with me, ever since I took upon myself solving Power’s death”

“What did he tell you at the roof?”

“That if I didn’t kill myself and proved everyone that I was wrong he was going to kill everyone, Greg, Hudders… you… “Three bullets; three gunmen; three victims. There’s no stopping them now. Unless my people see you jump” I thought I found a way to make him stop everything, but he killed himself and all I could do was jump. Before I spoke to you I texted Mycroft, one word, “Lazarus” as soon as he answered “Lazarus is go” I knew I had to jump, deceive you, I had to keep you safe”

John was silent for a moment; they had never discussed what really had happened at Bart’s rooftop. He knew Jim had forced Sherlock to kill himself, and Sherlock had to pretend but he wasn’t sure how it had happened, how it was planned. “It was the only way” John sighed, he finally understood

“Yes, my love, it was the only way. I had several plans, but I wasn’t expecting that he would kill himself. Once he did it I knew all was lost, that no plan would work, unless I finished up with his network”

“Thank you” John kissed Sherlock deeply “Thank you for dying for me”

Sherlock was surprised. It had always been a sore subject in their relationship, but it seemed that they had finally reached a healing point

“I love you, you wonderful man. No one has ever loved me the way you do. I’m sorry for never fully forgiving you, for never understanding that there was really nothing left for you to do. Thank you for letting me know” John started kissing Sherlock everywhere he could, face, hands, arms, neck, wherever his lips could reach. It was the first night, since their first night together, that John had given himself to Sherlock so fully.


	53. Through Moldova. April 14th to April 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We tried to protect him as much as we could, but as you already know, he’s restless, and whenever we said he needed to rest all he answered was that he had to protect you” Julian looked at his friend “He saved many lives, even though he acts nonchalant and curt about it”  
> “I never!” Sherlock pouted. John simply smiled and nodded, the description was pure Sherlock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just hit writer's block in chapter 105 but I'm trying... In the mean time I have 50 more chpater to post.... Thanks for reading. LYA!

After a very romantic night, mostly because John snogged Sherlock senseless until the first hours of the morning, acting as teenagers after their first kiss, unable to stop kissing each other. Bell woke them up promptly at seven in the morning, and as planned, they left their hotel and took her to the park, spent the morning playing with her.

“We’ll be spending the night at Chisinau, in Moldova” Sherlock said while holding an ice cream for his daughter “Here” He handed a road map to John

“How come you’re giving me a map?” John opened it at the page Sherlock had marked

“Because I want you to choose where to have lunch. It’s a seven hours trip, so we need to stop somewhere, unless you want our beautiful little lady fussing about” Sherlock kissed Bell’s head

“Mm… Maybe Focsani?” John looked the city up on his mobile “Though we may not be able to share a bed, just like when we left Greece” John sighed loudly

“We’ll manage love” Sherlock smiled sadly, but he knew they had to be respectful, even though he really didn’t agree with the current situation “We`ll have to be even more careful in Ukraine, there we might not even be able to share a room, the same will happen in the Middle East countries”

“I can’t wait to finish with this part of the trip…” John looked at Sherlock, barely managing to keep his hands of his husband’s beautiful face

“I know it’s hard… I’m sorry love”

“You don’t have to apologise. Much less when I can’t kiss the sadness from your eyes. Maybe you can call your contacts in Ukraine and ask them for a very private room for us” John asked, patting Sherlock’s shoulder, as to comfort both

“I can call Roman or Yuri and ask. Maybe they can help us with that. That reminds me that I should call Andrei for help too, get that hotel room in Moscow” Sherlock patted John’s knee before getting up and walking away back to the safety of their hotel room.

At night they met up with Lucien and Julian. Like he had done with everyone else, he invited them for drinks at their room and introduced them to John, his husband, and Isabelle, his daughter. They were baffled, but accepted the news graciously. Lucien, trying to snap out of his surprise state, held Bell for a little while, absorbing the news about his friend; Julian on the other hand, called Sergei to ask if they were being pranked, but he had to hang up the moment he saw the proper snog Sherlock gave John before he wanted to put HIS daughter to bed.

“So, married and a father” Julian gave Sherlock an assessing look

“Yup” Sherlock popped the “p” purposefully. (Lots of p’s… so not sorry!)

“I’m surprised!” Lucien chipped in

“You don’t really look like it” Sherlock glanced at him

“Well… No one can fool the great Sherlock Holmes… Lara said you had a huge surprise for us. She called the entire network. It seems that after a call she received from a very angry Catalina, she decided to call each of us and let us know to expect surprising news. We had no idea you were married, I’m certainly baffled. And I certainly wasn’t expecting for you to have a baby. What surprises me even more is that you look so well. I’m just glad you’re alive my dear friend” Lucien patted his arm and attempted a hug “Now I’m surprised you’re hugging me back” he laughed

“So, Catalina” John rolled his eyes and sighed

“Yeah. She called Lara the day you arrived, then the day you left for Santorini, and after that the day before you left. She also received a very disgruntled call from Sergei after he called Marco. She called us and said that she was tired of being called and yelled at; that we should expect surprises”

“Okay, so it was before Sherlock talked to her…” John muttered

“I guess she didn’t take the news well” Julian remembered the call he had received from Lara, telling him to be calm, to pretend the news weren’t shocking. He smiled at the memory

“No, she didn’t” John scowled

“I have to hear all about it. Last time I saw her she was like a teenager in love. All she talked about was Sherlock, and what they had done together. She had her head filled with bees and birds…” Julian shook his head “A bit delusional if you ask me, because we all knew Sherlock loved this John bloke…” He looked at John “Sorry… that he loved you”

Lucian cleared his throat “What do you say we go and share some stories with some dinner?”

“Yes, that’s a great idea” Sherlock texted Tim and he was in their room in less than a minute “We’ll be back late” He said to their “nanny” “Call us whatever” Tim simply nodded and sat at the living area with his mobile on one hand and a book in the other

They shared an uneventful dinner, Julian and Lucien laughing at John’s stories; Sherlock scowling every now and then. When the time to share Sherlock’s time in Bucharest came, Lucien looked tired, troubled, scared

“He knows everything” Sherlock said and squeezed John’s hand

“You do?” Julian asked, unbelieving still that Sherlock had shared the horrors of his time in Bucharest with his husband

“Yes, I do, I know all about her file, about the man he…” John looked at Sherlock, wanting to kiss him and hold him “The drive to Sofia, where he slept, what he ate, where he was being held, everything” John closed his eyes and took a deep breath

“We tried to protect him as much as we could, but as you already know, he’s restless, and whenever we said he needed to rest all he answered was that he had to protect you” Julian looked at his friend “He saved many lives, even though he acts nonchalant and curt about it”

“I never!” Sherlock pouted. John simply smiled and nodded, the description was pure Sherlock

“I know, he does act as if nothing matters, and actually that’s what I love about him the most” John controlled the impulse to kiss his husband for the umpteenth time that night

The dinner continued for a while longer, laughs and smiles were shared and they looked like old friends having fun

“What time do you leave tomorrow?” Lucien asked

“Around eight, after Bell’s breakfast” John answered

“I hope we can see you again” Julian patted Sherlock’s arm

“We sure will” Sherlock smiled “Now we have to rest. I have a long drive ahead; we plan on arriving to Moldova tomorrow. We’ll be spending the night at Chisinau and then Kiev”

“How long would you be staying at Kiev?” Julian walked in before them

“Three nights at most; I want to be in Moscow before the end of the month. We’ll have to drive back from Saint Petersburg to Tallinn and from there to Riga. It’ll be almost a month in Russia because I’ll be taking John everywhere I went”

“Will you be back in town?” Lucien was standing near their door              

“I don’t think so” Sherlock made some calculation in his mind “Though we’re planning to invite you to our place in Sussex, or maybe in Vienna, we’ll have to plan it but it won’t be before two years”

“Well, I really hope we see you again” Lucien shook John’s hand and hugged Sherlock

“Have a nice trip” Julian did as Lucien had done.

The next morning, Sherlock woke John up with a kiss to his injured shoulder, like every morning since they’d been sleeping together. He ordered some breakfast and was ready to leave in less than an hour, he had planned their trip almost to perfection. In the end, they stopped for lunch at Barlad. Sherlock found a nice little café and they shared a couple hours walking around the town until Bell woke up from her afternoon nap.

Sherlock took the road again, three hours later they arrived to Chisinau. Sherlock had called ahead and had found a nice little flat for them. They’ll be staying for two nights and the man that rented the place, a nice two room flat, had placed in “John’s” room a cot for baby Bell.

“You got us a flat!” John said excited as he went through the door of the modern looking flat.

“Everything for you” Sherlock nuzzled John’s cheek

“Tim?” John asked, rubbing his face against Sherlock’s neck

“At the Manhattan, two blocks from here” Sherlock was hurrying to open John’s shirt

“We better stop and hit the shops. I’m sure Bell will stop us soon” John was palming Sherlock

“I’m not hungry” Sherlock kept on massaging John’s arse

“I…” John tried to gather his thoughts but Sherlock’s hands made it impossible. He had to push Sherlock softly, running his hands down his chest “Bell has to eat, and the sooner we put her to bed the better” John said with a mischievous grin. Sherlock shivered and nodded. He picked Bell and they left to the nearest shop they could find. As usual, John managed the shopping and got what he thought they might need for the next couple of nights. Sherlock was excited, he missed John’s cooking, and he decided he will rent a flat for their stay in Moscow and Saint Petersburg; that would give them a chance to cook and share time alone, away from the inquisitive eyes they found wherever they went.

In the morning, and after a very fulfilling full British, Sherlock took his family to the park and played with Bell. John had never seen him being so playful, instead of a suit-clad body, he was wearing jeans and a jumper, he looked almost normal, his Belstaff forgotten in one of the many cases they had in the car. He was rolling on the floor, a laughing Bell over her father’s stomach, and John never felt happier.

“Hi” he said to the other person over the phone

“John, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Mycroft answered at the second ring, and he sounded sincere when he said “pleasure”

“You have footage?”

“Watching as we speak. Thank you, he looks truly happy”

“I know. You have the papers?”

“Already sent them to you, they’ll be waiting for you at the flat”

“Thank you Mycroft. I’ll call you as soon as we decide the road we’re taking”

“Nothing to thank me for, John; just keep him the way he is now. I really appreciate you taking care of him the way you do”

“That is my pleasure” John smiled to the phone and waved to the apparently empty space “Bye Mycroft, see you soon”

By the time of Bell’s snack, Sherlock took them to the Pushkin Museum, the returned to the flat for lunch and John made the thing with the peas. While John distracted himself with the dishes and the mail, Sherlock rented a flat for them at Kiev, and he called ahead and found two more flats in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, he debated with the idea of getting another rental at Minsk, but he’ll have time to decide whether or not they’ll be heading to Belarus next.

After lunch, while Bell napped, John handed Sherlock an envelope, they had an appointment on September 11th with a doctor back in London; he was the foremost expert in genetics and reproduction.

“We’re doing it” Sherlock was smiling at the documents

“Yes, we are” John kissed him softly on the lips

“And Mycroft got a date for us? I thought this man lived in California”

“Yes, he does, but he’s working with some researchers at Cambridge, and Mycroft called a favour with another scientist from Edinburgh; he has a whole team working on it… The Californian will be giving a lecture the day before. He already has some samples from us… I don’t want to know how Mycroft did it…” John shook his head “But he’s been working on getting us a baby” He was beaming

“He’s getting us a baby” Sherlock pulled John to his lap

“Do we have any plans for this afternoon?” John asked, kissing Sherlock’s neck

“Not really, no” he tilted his head

“So we can rest?” John licked Sherlock’s ear

“Yes we can. Watch some telly, cook, read, sleep…” Sherlock wriggled his eyebrows and smirked, making John laugh

“Did you get the flat in Kiev?”

“Yup. I did. A little tiny from the pictures the owner sent me, but we can manage. Tim will be staying at a hotel near us; I’ve also planned for him to stay at the same building as we are in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Mycroft helped with that”

“Helpful brother… I guess the walk in the park helped” John teased

“Oh honey, don’t be daft…” Sherlock patted John’s bum

“Are you “honeying” me?” John mocked annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest

“No dear” Sherlock scoffed “I’m “dafting” you” He kissed John’s neck

“Oh… Yeah…” John looked thoughtful

“Petite mademoiselle will be up in five… Not enough time to continue with this witty repartee” Sherlock chuckled

“Don’t remind me…” John sighed deeply “I still can’t believe you agreed to have another…”        

“And we still have to choose a surrogate”

“I think that’ll be the easy part… We have Mycroft to help us with that” 

 “That we have” Sherlock heard Bell calling for them “Be right back. Should we stay?”

“I would like to stay and rest, but it might be a good idea to tire her first and then come back, cook, watch telly, read and…” this time John wriggled his eyebrows.

“It might be a good idea. I’ll grab her and you get her snack. We’ll go to the park, have her play, go to the shops to buy some dinner and be back before her dinner time”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be out the loo real quick”

They ended up going to the archaeology and history museum before going to the park. Bell was as excited as ever, and having her daddies playing with her, chasing her around made her even happier. By seven, they were back to the flat and John made a quick dinner for their daughter and prepared some lasagne for them both. They bathed her; Sherlock played the violin while John read to her, for the umpteenth time, Bluebeard’s story

“She takes a lot from you, you know?” John took a sip of his wine glass

“She does?”

“Yeah, only your daughter would like a story about murder and deception. And she gets even more excited about Poe’s stories. Has a dark humour that one”

“Then she’s a true Holmes” Sherlock cheered. John cleared his throat and glared at him. “Holmes… Watson?” Sherlock teased

“Keep teasing and the next one will be just a Watson” John swallowed the rest of his wine and left the table

“Are you mad?” Sherlock asked shyly

“What?” John turned and looked at Sherlock

“Are you mad at me?” Sherlock looked away

“No my love. Why?”

“I was just teasing… I’m sorry John” John hugged him and kissed his cheek

“I’m not mad, why would I be mad? We were joking!” John panicked

“You left the table… You looked angry” Sherlock seemed truly concerned    

“No my love. I’m not angry!” John kissed him deeply “I was just teasing…” John was worried

“You left the table…” Sherlock looked away again

“Sherlock, look at me” John tipped Sherlock’s head up “”I left the table to get more wine. The bottle was at the kitchen so I went there to get it. I’m not angry at you; there are no reasons for me to be angry at you. I love you, you silly git” John smiled and kissed him

“I love you” Sherlock whispered against John’s lips  

“So… If I remember correctly, we were going to…” John wiggled his eyebrows and made Sherlock smile

“Oh, right!” Sherlock gave John that lopsided smile “We were going to…” Sherlock steepled his fingers under his chin and took a deep breath “Watch crap telly…” He smirked

“Soldier…” John used his Captain voice and Sherlock shivered

“Yes Captain?” Sherlock worried his lower lip

“You should be heading to the showers before I drag you” John’s tone was teasing

“Sir, yes Sir” Sherlock saluted and marched to the bathroom, losing bits of clothing with every step. John followed closely, picking after his mad husband, like he always did.

Their bath was very thorough, like always, and after lots of teasing, John took Sherlock to bed and enjoyed the night with his husband, snogging like teenagers, touching each other as if it were the first time.


	54. Should we skip Kiev? Last morning in Moldova. April 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can’t be sick John. I don’t get sick”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The return of Hudders!!!!
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!

Their morning started with a grunt from Sherlock and a curse from John. Sherlock’s mobile was chiming relentlessly

“What?” Sherlock growled

“Sorry to wake you this early, brother dear” Mycroft sounded grim

“What happened?” Sherlock sat up quickly

“Nothing to do with the “f” word” Mycroft reassured him

“Then?”

“A conflict between countries. According to your itinerary you’ll be arriving to Kiev this afternoon. I strongly suggest you fly, not only for your sake, but for my niece and brother in law. If it were just the two of you I might consider letting you drive…” Mycroft sighed

“I’ll leave the car here, could you have one of your men picking it up?”

“Yes, brother dear. I’ll make sure you have a car waiting for you at Kiev and the Jaguar will be waiting for you at Moscow”

“Thank you, Myc…” Sherlock whispered to the phone

“You’re welcome, Lockie…” Mycroft whispered back and finished the call

John pretended not to hear the exchange by snoring lightly.

“I know you heard me” Sherlock patted John’s bum

“And I love you for that” John kissed Sherlock’s hipbone, since it was there for him to reach easily

  “Mycroft said we should fly to Kiev… and I agree” Sherlock returned to bed

“What time should we leave?”

“There is only one flight at seven tonight, so we have the whole day to walk around. We can leave some of our cases here, the Jaguar will be arriving soon and the man driving it can take all our stuff with him to Moscow”

“Why can’t we drive?”

“Conflict between countries, Mycroft is worried about Bell, and he’s right. Perhaps we should fly more often instead of driving everywhere”

“But driving gives us time to talk…” John almost pouted

“I know my love, but I want to keep you safe, you and Bell are my life. Just this once I’ll do as asked, I have to keep you safe. Please, let me keep you safe” Sherlock begged

“I… You’re right…” John kissed his husband’s back “How long does the flight take?”

“About an hour; instead of driving for over six hours we’ll be arriving at the planned hour without having to stop several times and elongating the trip”

“Will an hour give us time to talk about what happened in Kiev?”

“I think so. Though we’ll have time to visit the places I went and we can talk about it at the flat, the way we did it here. I’ll give Roman a call so we’ll see them before we leave. I just hope they don’t have any eights”

“I hope so too, it’s enough with the fours and fives they are giving us”

“We should get Bell’s breakfast ready. Then I guess we should head to a park or something. What do you think?”

“Yeah. It might be a good idea. What time does the driver arrive?”

“Around ten, he’ll be arriving directly to Moscow, and will give the keys to the Jaguar to Andrei. I guess we’ll be meeting him at the airport”

“You know what?” John got out of bed and headed to the bathroom

“I can’t read minds, John” Sherlock teased

“I think we should stay here all day. I don’t feel like leaving this bed, but I’ll be okay with staying here for the day, until we have to leave. I want to read, to cook, clean up a little; maybe pack properly…”

“Then we should stay. I’ll solve some cases for Greg and the ones Gustav sent me” Sherlock pulled some files from his bag

“Breakfast will be ready in ten, love. Get Bell?”

“I hope she’s up already”

“I bet she already is” John patted Sherlock’s bum and kissed his cheek

“Maybe… Mycroft called pretty early” Sherlock yawned, a very rare occurrence

“What time is it over there?”

“Two hours less, so five in the morning, which either means he just pulled an all-nighter, or he just got up”

“He must be really worried about us…” John frowned

“Which is rare because?”

“He’s been worried since the day you were born, Sherlock. He’s your big brother. I thought you had it all sorted out” John scolded

“Yes we have… I’m sorry John” Sherlock looked down

“Bell?” John left for the kitchen and Sherlock followed, going to Bell’s room and picking his still sleeping daughter in his arms

“She’s still out” Sherlock kissed Bell’s forehead and the little girl opened her eyes, looking at her father and snuggling closer “Morning baby love!” Sherlock smiled

“Morning beautiful” John kissed her on the neck and blew a raspberry, getting a high pitched giggle

“I think we should go out and have some fun. Then go back and spend the afternoon relaxing before going to the airport. I think she would love to go to the park and play with you. The files can wait, and I can pack some other time” John tickled Bell and Sherlock

“Okay, okay” Sherlock tried to run away but John had a firm grasp on his waist “Let’s have breakfast first”

Like every morning, John fed Bell her breakfast while Sherlock fussed about and played with his food, until John fed him too

“I swear… three kids are plenty!” John scoffed

“Three?” We said two John!” Sherlock panicked slightly

“Yes, three…” John sighed “Bell” he pointed at the girl “the next one” he waved his hand in the air “and...” he kissed Sherlock’s lips “you”

“I’m not a kid…” Sherlock pouted

“So said the six foot toddler I’m currently feeding…” John pushed the fork between Sherlock’s lips and into his mouth

“I…” Sherlock swallowed “am not a toddler” he stuck his tongue out and John took advantage of it and captured it between his lips

“Yes you are” John kissed his neck “And I love you for that” another kiss to his throat

“Are you sure you want to go to the park?” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear making him shiver

“We could skip the park for a couple hours, leave the telly on one of those silly cartoons she loves so much and…”

The minute that took John to propose a plan, it took Sherlock to turn on the telly and find a cartoon show for his daughter, while at the same time he disrobed his husband and began working on him.

By ten they had given Bell her snack and were ready to hit the park, but before they could leave, Mycroft called them to confirm that a plane was waiting for them the minute they wanted to leave. Less than ten minutes later, the well-known black sedan was waiting for them

“We need to ask Mycroft from where this plane came from” John said, admiring the plane “leather seats, spacious, private…”

“Well….” Sherlock rubbed the back of his neck “It’s ours” He looked away

“Ours?” John was baffled

“Yeah… Ours, yours, mine, Mycroft’s, Greg’s, Bell’s… Whoever needs it…” Sherlock was blushing furiously, fearing the worst

“You never cease to surprise me, you… madman” John went to kiss his husband “I love you”

“I love you” Sherlock kissed back

“We can talk about what happened in Kiev” John said, sitting Bell

“Yes” Sherlock sat next to John, with Bell between them

“Do we need scotch?”

“Maybe” Sherlock called a flight attendant “A bottle of scotch and two tumblers”

“Please” John finished the sentence

“Yes, please” Sherlock rolled his eyes and sighed

“Okay you brat, talk” John patted his knee

“Kiev...” Sherlock closed his eyes and rested his head on the headrest “I arrived from Riga at dawn, maybe four in the morning. I’d been traveling for two days, one stop at Minsk to talk to a contact an make sure that we were on track” Sherlock looked out the window and John reached for his hand, making Sherlock look back “The moment I arrived to Kiev, Roman and Yuri were waiting for me, they were waiting at the Cave Monastery, it’s close to Arsanal’na metro station. The good thing is that I travelled by train, the bad news is that took me almost twelve hours from Minsk. I actually had a chance to sleep, but a miscalculation from my part had me wondering the streets of Kiev for a while before I could actually go to the Monastery”

“I thought you arrived at dawn”

“Yes, I did, but I was supposed to meet Roman and Yuri at seven, so I got to walk all over for a few hours. I found a nice place to watch people pass by, and I deduced a few. I even found a place where to watch dealers, I made friends with a few homeless and found out about a few dealers and other useful information about a huge human trafficking network and I able to link them to Moriarty’s”

“So you walked for three hours and practically found a lead” John chuckled “That’s absolutely brilliant. Remarkable” He kissed Sherlock’s cheek and made the Detective blush

“Yeah, I sort of got the lay of the land, at least for the area near the Monastery and the metro stations. The moment I arrived to the Monastery, two guys were waiting for me, they knew who I was because Number Four had sent them my photograph and the moment they saw me they took me to the Monastery and I was able to bathe and have some food. They handed me the respective files and I immediately identified one of the guys I had seen at a nearby park. It surprises me how dealers never realize how easily they can be spotted, though it might have to do with the fact that I’m an addict” Sherlock looked thoughtful

“Never say that again” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “It’s not because you’re an addict, it’s because you’re an amazing detective; your deduction skills are fantastic, impressive, you can read anyone you want, that’s way you spot them easily, not because you used to… use” Sherlock’s already rosy cheeks turned the cutest cherry red John had seen. He loved how his Detective, even after so many years together, still blushed at the compliments he threw his way

“You say that because you like me, John” Sherlock looked down, his ears red still

“I say that because it’s true, and I don’t you just like you, I love you” John kissed him softly “What happened when you identified the man?” John changed the subject

“I left the Monastery and went to the park where I’d seen him before. I started following him, and created a homeless network to follow him. I had his schedule down to the number of times he went to the bathroom” Sherlock tried to chuckle at his failed joke “After a few days of following him, learning his schedule and identifying a few of his suppliers, I followed him to a metro station near the outskirts of Kiev, there I was able to identify not only several dealers that were distributing here in Kiev, but that were receiving shipments from Russia”

“Where in the outskirts?”

“I’ll take you there. We might need for Tim to take care of Bell tomorrow, the whole day, I don’t want to take her there” Sherlock shivered, remembering how sad everything looked just outside the city.

“We’ll go alone, love. I’m sure Tim will stay with her gladly, besides we have your brother’s help with that matter” John rubbed Sherlock’s knuckles and kissed his palm “What happened next?”

 “While I was looking for Moran and others” Sherlock closed his eyes, it was too soon to ta labour Maupertuis… “I also was able to find Moriarty’s main Ukrainian liaison, he was a boss for several mafias and after he was “disposed of” Mycroft’s men made sure that there were no heirs to the throne. Every shipment was sent to Russia from then on, and Mycroft made sure that Blanicoff was the head of this… new… network, particularly for Eastern Europe. Since I was able to stop several shipments, they were on to me, I’d already stopped many since I started in France and they were getting more careful over the time… Well, I say careful… actually they were getting desperate, they started killing minor dealers, major dealers, you name it, they even changed strategies a couple of times, killing some bosses and changing the entire “upper echelons” of many mafias. Some “mobsters” were deposed, others sent to deal with their street people, and I was in the middle of the war”

“Did something happen to you in Kiev?”

“No, I had the chance to rest, eat. I was safe, but as I told you, I was in the middle of a war”

“Why a war?”

“A mafia war. I was destroying Moriarty’s network from the inside. I had bosses fighting with each other, menial servers of Moriarty’s regime fighting to survive. And Kiev was the first real progress I had, because I really destroyed the network here. Now there are new dealers, obviously, but I managed to finish with Moriarty in Ukraine. After only a few days I had managed to sever every Ukrainian connections linked to Moriarty, without having to kill a single person” Sherlock had his eyes closed, a grim expression on his face, he remembered perfectly every man and woman he had killed to protect John, how he had killed them, what he had done. Thinking back, Ukraine seemed the hardest, because he realised he would have to kill many more people than he was willing to.

“You okay?” John felt his forehead

“I am” Sherlock sighed. He was actually feeling feverish

“No, you’re not. You have a fever. And so does this young lady” John sounded concerned

“I can’t be sick John. I don’t get sick” Sherlock felt Bell’s forehead and then John’s “And if I’m supposed to be getting sick, then you’re too. You too are feverish”

“Am not” John shook his head, but if he had to be honest, he actually felt tired and groggy

“Let’s get to the flat first and then we can check our temperatures. I thought it was weird for Bell to be asleep so late. She’s usually like a clock, seven in the morning and she’s up” Sherlock looked at his sleeping daughter

“You’re right. I just hope it’s nothing but a silly flu”

“Me too”

The moment their plane landed, one of Mycroft’s men handed Sherlock the keys to the flat he had rented in Kiev and delivered a note ‘ _Black sedan for my niece and brother in law. M_ ’ Sherlock smiled at the note and followed Tim to the parking lot, were the well- known black sedan was waiting for them. He was grateful that he didn’t have to drive, at least for the time being.

“Brother” Mycroft greeted

“Thank you”

“You know”

“Yes” Sherlock finished the call and turned to look at a very sleepy John. He kissed his husbands sweaty forehead and rested his head on his shoulder. Twenty minutes later they were at the bottom of a building and a very worried Tim was trying to wake them up

“Just a fever” John mumbled and pulled Sherlock out of the car. Tim was already holding the sleeping baby and helped them in the flat. To Sherlock’s surprise, Mrs. Hudson was there, waiting for them, tea and scones already made.


	55. Kiev. April 17th to April 22nd

It took Mrs. Hudson two days to have her boys up and about again. She took care of the trio, Sherlock being the least difficult of the three. Like a good doctor, John was the worst patient ever, he run a fever for almost twenty four hours, it wasn’t just flu”, it was the mother of all flus and had John begging for mercy every time Mrs. Hudson came to their room and rubbed some Vicks on his chest and back.

Little Bell was a handful, she was moody all the time, locked in the flat, luckily for them, she was the least sick of them. Mrs. Hudson had to endure her Sherlockian mood for what seemed like forever. Thanks to Tim, Mrs. Hudson was able to feed her and bathe her, and by the end of the night, she had to play one of the violin cd’s that Sherlock had given to her for one of her birthdays.

Sherlock, in a very uncharacteristic and un-Sherlockian way, behaved like a well-mannered man. He accepted Mrs. Hudson treatment, took everything she handed him, endured the Vicks rubbing and went to sleep whenever she said so.

Their second night in Kiev, feeling much better than he had felt in over a week, John rolled to his side and looked at his husband

“Who are you and what have you done with my husband?” John rubbed Sherlock’s cheek

“Again, John?” Sherlock sighed with mock frustration, covering his face with his arm

“I’m sorry love, but you have never behaved like a proper gentleman before, much less with Mrs. Hudson” John scooted closer and kissed his cheek

“She came all the way from London to take care of us. I can only assume that Mycroft told her we were sick and she came all the way here. The least I could do was behave nicely to the woman that has acted like a mother to us for the last two days. I’m sure Mummy would be here, but I bet she’s fussing about with Mycroft’s wedding”

“You’re right” John rolled back “I’ve been a right arse” he scowled “We need to buy her something beautiful and take her to dinner as soon as she let us leave this flat”

“I think she might allow us to leave the flat tomorrow. The climate is changing and some fresh air might be good for us” Sherlock held John’s hand in his and was fast asleep

As predicted, the next morning Mrs. Hudson practically threw them out of bed and the flat. Sherlock decided to take her along, not to take care of Bell, but to treat her with visits to landmarks and museums. They visited the Cultural Heritage Museum first. Mrs. Hudson was a treat and both Sherlock and John kept on watching her, looking like a little child, admiring every painting and sculpture she saw.

After a long lunch, they took Bell back the flat and left her with Tim and the trio was headed to the National History Museum. Having the black sedan proved to be a great advantage, mostly because Sherlock didn’t want Mrs. Hudson walking around, and helped them recuperate sooner without him driving everywhere

They discussed long and hard (Sherlock and John, of course) about going or not to the Chernobyl Museum, in the end, logic won (meaning Sherlock) and they visited the museum, that night, Sherlock spent half the night at the sofa, although John, concerned as always (actually he didn’t like sleeping without Sherlock at arms range) went to look for him at two in the morning, and it took less than two seconds to convince his stubborn husband to go back to bed. One fact that helped Sherlock’s case, and had him back in the conjugal bed less than two hours after bed time, was that he took John to the aviation museum, and that night, after leaving a very exhausted Mrs. Hudson back in the flat, Sherlock took John to an aerodrome and had him flying a helicopter first, an a small airplane second.

“Why is it that you make it impossible for me to be mad at you for not respecting my wishes?” John asked, getting rid of Sherlock’s dressing gown

“Because you get mad at me for stupid things” Sherlock fumbled with John’s pyjama bottoms

“It’s not stupid not wanting to go to a nuclear museum” John pushed down Sherlock’s pants

“It is when the museum is nowhere near the actual accident site” Sherlock pulled John’s t-shirt off

“It was scary either way…” John pouted

“And you invaded Afghanistan” Sherlock kneeled in front of his husband, and John lost his train of thought

“The… ohmygodyourmouth… the helicopter… thereyesthereyourtongue… ride… forchristsakebaberollyourtongueagain…. was…  ohfuckfuckfuckyesyesyes… amazing” John tried, Sherlock simply nodded, which made John’s eyes roll to the back of his head as his world turned into white lights and firecrackers exploded in his brain, leaving him deaf and mute for what seemed like an eternity “You…” John panted “you... oh God…” He was being held closely by a very sleepy Sherlock “I love you, Sherlock” John murmured against raven curls. Sherlock sure knew how to make his husband happy and how to keep him pleased.

Their first stop the next morning, right after breakfast, was the toy Museum. Both Bell and Mrs. Hudson were lost in the beauty of the dolls, while John and Sherlock followed them close. Unlike at the Bulgarian Zoo, where Sherlock had bought two plush toys to stop Bell from crying, this time both decided that Bell had to learn that no meant no. When the little girl started crying her eyes out, Sherlock took her away and talked to her. She was given a two and half minutes’ time out.

“I’m very proud of you” John winked at Sherlock, unable to kiss him as he pleased

“She has to learn, you said so yourself after I bought her the owl and the tiger” Sherlock was hugging little Bell “I feel like a monster” He released a shaky breath

“I feel like one too” John patted the little girl’s back “But we need to teach her good manners, or else…”

“I know, but I hate to make her cry” Sherlock was feeling down

“We can get her a doll later” John was looking for a toy store in his phone

“I don’t think we have to” Sherlock pointed at a very happy Mrs. Hudson, who was carrying a beautiful baby doll for her little Bell

“Well…” John sighed “At least we tried” He smiled

After the museum they invited Mrs. Hudson to lunch and ended up near the Independence Square. The long lunch turned into a mid-afternoon café and Mrs. Hudson said goodbye to her boys. They had to leave to Moscow the next day, and she had to go back to Baker Street and her life.

“I’m going to miss her” John sighed as he entered the now empty flat

“Me too” Sherlock admitted “We have dinner with Roman and Yuri. They agreed to come to the flat, if that’s what you want” Sherlock put Bell on the floor and left her there with her brand new doll

“Yeah, I can make some dinner for the four of us, we can talk, and we won’t have to cut the night short because of Bell” John looked in the fridge and Mrs. Hudson had left a casserole to feed an army “On the other hand…” he showed Sherlock the plastic containers

“I’m going to miss her so much…” Sherlock looked at the pantry and found three boxes of his favourite biscuits and two boxes of scones.

“We definitely need to send her something beautiful” John was setting the table for Bell’s dinner

“She was eyeing a ceramic doll. As soon as we arrive to China we have to find one for her and send it” Sherlock carried Bell to the small dining table

“I like the idea” John was blowing the carrot and peas puree that Mrs. Hudson had left for Bell “there you go beautiful” John smiled “open” and he stuck a piece of chicken in the girls mouth

“She likes Mrs. Hudson’s cooking” Sherlock wiped her cheek

“That she does” John handed the little girl a sippee cup with water

“She likes your food too” Sherlock wiped her mouth again

“Yes, but I don’t have many opportunities to prepare her proper food” John complained

“Would you like to cook for her every day?” Sherlock looked at his husband tenderly as he fed their daughter

“Only if you help me” John answered absentmindedly, feeding another scoop of puree to Bell

“I’ll always help you” Sherlock surprised John with a kiss

“You okay?” John blinked

“Never better” Sherlock smiled. He felt utterly happy with this new found domesticity of theirs “The flat we rented in Moscow has a nice kitchen, we can cook there. I promise I’ll help” Sherlock gave John his lopsided smile

“Thank you my love” John kissed Sherlock’s cheek “This young lady is ready for bed” John picked Bell up from Sherlock’s lap “Ready for your bath, beautiful?” He nuzzled her little stomach and Bell giggled

“I’ll be there right quick” Sherlock picked Bell’s dish and washed it. He was drying it when he noticed what he had done. He went to the bathroom and saw John washing Bell’s hair with such care and tenderness that it reminded him the first time ever John had helped him wash his own hair. It took him some time to go back to reality, because he wanted to save the image in his Mind Palace. John smiled up at him and Sherlock almost fell to his knees, John had that smile that made him so unique, the smile Sherlock loved the most

“Help me?” John stretched his hand towards Sherlock. He reached for John’s hand and felt electricity run up and down his body. Sadly, the spell was broken by the door bell and Sherlock had to leave his husband alone with their daughter.

“That must be… hum… eh…”

“Roman and Yuri?” John chuckled

“Yeah… them… I’ll get the door” Sherlock turned around

“I’ll say…” John laughed “Well this little lady is ready to go to bed” John wrapped Bell up in her towel and took her to the room while Sherlock went to open the door

“Hi Roman, Yuri” Sherlock tried to smile but his mind was in the bedroom with his husband and his daughter “Come on in, dinner is almost ready” He led them to the small living room

“Hey Sherlock, how are you mate?” Roman greeted “You look so much better that I remember” Roman sat on the nearest sofa

“Yeah, you do look good, mate” Yuri shook his hand and sat next to Roman "You okay?”

“Fine, fine” Sherlock tried again

“Love?” Came John’s voice from the bedroom “She wants her violin tonight”

“Love?” Roman and Yuri looked at each other

“Oh, sorry” John went to the living room carrying a very sleepy Bell in his arms “Hi, I’m John” he said, shaking hands with the astonished men. Sherlock was absolutely mesmerized. John looked a bit dishevelled, he wasn’t wearing a vest under his shirt, the three top buttons of his shirt were open, his sleeves were rolled up and the shirt was tucked out of his trousers. His hair was a mess but he looked gorgeous “I had to change in a hurry. She was wet” He pointed at Bell before handing the whimpering baby to Sherlock “Love?” John looked at Sherlock “Violin?”

“Yes” Sherlock startled “Violin…” He hugged Bell close to his chest and lulled the baby with soothing words “Right” He went to Bell’s room and put the baby down. It took less than five minutes for the exhausted girl to fall asleep. Sherlock collected himself before returning to the living room, he washed his face and concentrated in something else, something different from the way John looked and the long and excruciating dinner they had ahead of them

“So…” Roman breathed again after five long minutes of silence and awkwardness “Care to fill us in?”

“Yeah” Sherlock startled again for the second time in less than ten minutes “Sorry about that” He tried to look away from his ridiculously delicious husband

“Sherlock? You okay?” John stroked his cheek softly. Sherlock leaned in to the touch and his brain started to work again

“Excuse us for a moment, please” Sherlock pulled John to the bedroom

“Excuse us” John followed, not knowing what was going on

“I love you” Sherlock kissed John softly “I love you so much” He looked deeply into John’s eyes “You look so… beautiful…” Sherlock sighed and kissed him again “I can’t take my eyes of off you” Sherlock smiled. John was stunned, he had no idea what had brought this “Let’s get this dinner over with so I can be alone with you for the rest of the night” Sherlock tugged at John’s hand and led him back to the living room

“I needed my husband to check on something” Sherlock explained to the intrigued men, John simply nodded, still too stunned to act properly

“Husband?” Yuri’s eyes almost pop out of its sockets  

“Yes, my husband, John Watson” Sherlock pulled John close and hugged him by the waist

“THE John Watson? The one you talked about relentlessly, whose blog you made us read more than ten times?” Roman teased

“I did no such thing!” Sherlock blushed, a nice cherry colour “But yes, this is John, my John” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek

“Nice to meet you John” Roman shook John’s hand “Sorry, we were a bit stunned before, with you and the baby, and all” Roman apologised

“Yes. It’s very nice to finally meet you, John” Yuri shook his hand again “The little girl, is she your daughter?”

“Yes, she’s ours” Sherlock explained “Her name is Isabelle. Sadly she’s been a bit sick so her bed time has slightly changed these days” Sherlock explained

“How old is she?” Yuri asked

“Two years, three months and ten days” Sherlock answered proudly

“Wow” Roman gasped “She looks so big for her age” He chuckled

“Yeah, she has grown quite a bit the last couple of months” Sherlock smiled remembering the day they had received Bell “Something to drink?”

“Scotch for me, neat. If you have some” Yuri asked

“For me too” Roman requested

“Love?” Sherlock called John and got no answer. He touched John’s face and John returned to reality

“Yes?” He startled

“The scotch?” Sherlock looked at him with hungry eyes

“Hum… Kitchen?” John went to fetch the bottle and four tumblers

“Are you okay?” Roman asked, they were behaving strangely

“Yeah… I… yes. Absolutely fine” John smiled broadly once he was able to look at himself in the mirror near the entrance. He looked absolutely dishevelled, as if he just had sex or was interrupted during it and had to dress in a hurry. No wonder Sherlock was ogling him like he was a honey biscuit.

“You noticed…” Sherlock whispered to John’s ear, John just nodded and smiled at Sherlock

“I love you” John mouthed and stroked Sherlock’s arm

Roman and Yuri took a single swig and all the scotch was gone from their tumblers, while John and Sherlock sipped at their drinks.

“So…” Roman cleared his throat “Father and husband… “

“Never in the life…” Yuri chuckled

 “Yes” Sherlock smiled

“When?” Roman asked, sipping his drink

“We got married last year, October thirty first, and Bell arrived to our lives on February twenty first this year”

“Wait” Roman looked at Sherlock questioningly “How?”

“We started our trip the day after we got married, and our daughter stayed with a guardian, but we missed her so much so we decided to bring her with us” John looked at his lying husband with an amused smile, although if they chatted amongst them, the stories will be the same, completing a whole story made of lies.

“You had her before you got married?” Yuri frowned and looked pensive

“Yeah” John answered “She was born just a few days before we decided to finally move in together again”

“After your divorce, right?” Yuri pried

“Yes” Sherlock answered this time and kissed John’s hand “We decided to be together after John’s divorce, and his ex-wife is Isabelle’s mother”

“So, she’s John’s daughter” Yuri pried again

“No” Sherlock almost shouted “She’s OUR daughter” he was getting tired of the questioning

Roman nudged Yuri and stared at him

“My ex-wife, who died less than a year ago, was pregnant before we got married. I knew the baby was somebody else’s but I decided to marry her either way. I decided to do so before Sherlock returned, and I never backed out from a commitment” John was angry and decided to explain everything to them, leaving a few truths out “After Sherlock’s return, Mary, that was her name, helped me get back with Sherlock and she wanted for us to have Bell. After OUR daughter was born, Mary asked me to go back to Sherlock and we started living together again. We talked about the way we felt for each other and we decided to start a relationship. We decided to get married less than a year later and we got married before our second anniversary” John buffed “Mary asked us to take care of Bell and we accepted, so we adopted her a few months after Mary died and that’s how Sherlock became the best husband, father and man anyone ever had the good fortune to meet” John emptied his tumbler “Dinner’s ready” He went to the kitchen to set the table

After that outburst, the dinner was silent an uncomfortable. Roman chatted about what had happened while Sherlock was in Kiev and Yuri nodded or shook his head depending on what Roman said. John buffed every once in a while and Sherlock tried to lighten the mood by joking with Roman. By the end of the night, John left the table and used his best plaster smile to say goodbye to Yuri

“Sorry mate. I should have told you that Yuri is an arse” Roman apologised

“I’m sorry” John apologised too “It’s just that I don’t like people doubting our relationship”

“I’m sorry, John” Yuri apologised this time “I just care so much for Sherlock, and I saw him how he was while he was here. He always talked about you, mate. He wanted so much to be with you all the time and when we found out that you got married… well…” Yuri looked down

“I know. We were idiots, but we’re finally together” Sherlock kissed John’s forehead

“Sorry for ruining dinner. Could we have lunch tomorrow?” Roman asked and John nodded “It’ll be a celebratory lunch, for the three of you” he smiled

“Thank you” John smiled back and shook their hands “See you tomorrow”


	56. A.G.R.A April 23rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AGRA… Mary, Anna Grace, and many other names I found out about later on, went rogue after my fall...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens... Sorry for not updating before but had a bit of writters block... I usually like to have at least twice as many chapter written than chapters published... Hitting 105 as I publish this one
> 
> Thanks for reading! Loveyall!

The next day, as soon as Bell woke up, Sherlock had made breakfast for his little family. Scrambled eggs, juice and apple sauce for Bell; scrambled eggs, toast, and Darjeeling, John’s favourite, some raspberry jam and honey, and orange juice; and for the sake of it, a similar dish for him.

“To what do we owe this wonderful breakfast?” John smiled, utterly surprised

“I love you” Was all Sherlock said.

They shared a romantic breakfast, kissing each other all the time, feeding each other. Sherlock ate everything he had prepared, and after breakfast was done he even washed the dishes. John looked at his husband in awe, not knowing what had happened for him to be acting in such a domestic way; he hadn’t even mentioned the lack of eights, nines and tens, and was content with the fives and sixes his friends had given him.

By lunch time they met with Roman and Yuri, unlike the night before, Yuri was charming and had read the last cases; he understood why all the secrecy; like last time, Sherlock needed to protect his family

“So, you’ve been together for two years now?” Roman asked

“Yes, a little over two” John swallowed his food

“And who proposed?” Yuri pried

“I did” Sherlock answered, wiping some food from Bell’s cheek

“After how long?” Yuri continued his questioning

“Elven months” John’s pushed another bite of chicken in Bell’s mouth

“Bell had just turned a year old” Sherlock continued “We had been dating for almost a year, so I decided it was time. It had taken us about five years to realise we belonged together”

“I remember the day Sherlock arrived to Kiev” Roman looked to some unknown point in the distance “He looked thin as a rake, tired, ravenous, dark circles under his eyes, longer hair and a beard of a few days” Roman shuddered “Number Four called us and told us to take him to the nearest hospital and have him checked. He’d been in Latvia the week before and the climate was still cold. It was snowing still and Queenie feared that he might get sick”

“He had walked for about three hours before we met” Yuri closed his eyes and rested his head on his hand, covering his face “He didn’t have shoes on him; his coat looked more like a trashed rag than an actual coat and his trousers were ragged too, and old t-shirt completed the homeless outfit” Yuri took a deep breath

“We took him to the Cave Monastery, have you been there yet?” John nodded “There, the monks helped him with food and new clothes, a pair of shoes and a new coat. He still looked haggard but he rested for a while. He found the man he was looking for before even meeting us” Roman tried to smile “We had to follow him for four days, until he gave us directions to arrest a number of people. We didn’t even got the chance to thank him for helping us before he had to leave again to Bucharest”

“He saved us from a terrible death. We’d been targeted and he took the assassin away from us the moment he left to Bucharest. Apparently, a gun for hire, AGRA, was it?” Yuri looked at Roman for confirmation and Roman nodded “Was after Sherlock. The moment he left, Number Four called us and told us that Sherlock had just saved our lives by not interacting with us as much as he interacted with the others. He talked about you all the time, he made us read your blog and he acted like an obsessed fan all the time. During his nightmares he called your name…” Yuri sighed heavily

“We know about his night mares because we shared a room at the monastery. We were supposed to be monks helping a homeless sick man. Number Four kept us hidden away for about three months, that’s when Sherlock left for China” Roman explained “apparently AGRA had disappeared too” John was pale, he could barely swallow. Every person in Sherlock’s life had been in danger of dying because of Mary and her association with Moriarty, and Sherlock had given her everything, including John.

John could feel the anger rising in his chest, like bubbles in a fizzy drink, going up to his throat were a murderous growl made its appearance, He couldn’t think properly, all he wanted to do was find that woman and kill her with his bare hands. Sherlock’s hand over his knee made him go back to his body and his mind, and to this moment, were he was safe with Sherlock by his side

“I had no idea” John panted, trying to catch his breath

“Neither did I” Sherlock was pale too, and was trying to ground himself by feeling John’s pulse with his fingers

“Sorry mate…” Yuri looked down to a spot at the table and fumbled with his tumbler “We thought you knew. We thought Number Four had told you”

“No, they didn’t” Sherlock buffed “The others knew?”

“No. Just me and Yuri”

“Queenie?” Sherlock felt like his world was crumbling around him

“No. It was all Number Four. After you went missing in Serbia and that cover agent found you; Number Four told us all about AGRA and how they had lost them after you went to Bolivia. Queenie knew about AGRA, she made sure you had the files; and she was worried about this AGRA going after you. After AGRA went under the radar she almost lost it, though she had no idea about their codename or whereabouts, she assumed they had a false identity, unable to track. Sometime later Number Four confirmed that AGRA was no longer an issue and that if Victor, meaning you, ever asked about AGRA, we should tell you that they were no longer an issue”

“Queenie had no idea?” Sherlock could breathe again, and so could John

“Not that we know of. As I already told you, she sent the AGRA files to Julian and Lucien and they were to give them to you so you’ll be aware of their presence. Number Four controlled almost everything about you and your contacts; Queenie was behind every security detail and tails you had. To Number Four your mission was the most important; to Queenie it was your safety. We always thought Queenie was your girlfriend, we never knew who Queenie was, and Number Four, well, he seems like a though guy” Sherlock simply nodded, they had it all wrong

“Is Number Four behind AGRA’s disappearance?” John aske,, he still could feel anger bubbling low in his stomach ‘Who’s Number Four? and why this person made Anthea kill Mary?’ John was lost in his own thoughts 

“All Number Four said was that AGRA is no longer an issue to any of us; that they’d been taken care off. Apparently AGRA killed one of Number Four’s agents and he was pissed. He waited for AGRA to get comfortable, apparently they had changed identities again but something weird happened, we really have no idea what…” Yuri shook his head “Apparently they were a threat to an agent Number Four was very fond of. I think it was Queenie, though at the time the killed agent’s codename was “Raven”, at least that’s what we heard”

“Are you sure Queenie had no idea?” Sherlock needed to know if his brother knew Mary was AGRA before he told him  

“No, she didn’t. According to some wires, Raven was Queenie’s partner, and Queenie was looking after the shooter. Raven died and Queenie disappeared. Number Four made sure to communicate that to all of us, that we will no longer hear about Queenie and Raven ever again, that they were gone…” Roman looked sad “I loved Queenie, always so concerned about you, asking if you had eaten and slept, if you were safe. Nice bird that one”

John couldn’t hold it anymore and laughed, all the tension leaving his body. This Number Four had covered the truth. Sherlock was supposed to be dead, they had sent mixed information, and for once, Mycroft had no idea about it.

“I need to know who Number Four is” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear

“Too many ears…” Sherlock scowled

“Are you okay mate?” Yuri looked at John

“Yeah, just fine... Sherlock told me all about this Queenie, and I’m sorry to know that they area gone” John answered, as nonchalantly as possible

“Did you know about AGRA?” Roman looked concerned

“Sherlock told me he received a file about them, but no… not really. He just told me that they were guns for hire…” John rubbed his face, he had brought a vicious killer to their lives, and now he was taking care of her daughter, he could feel Sherlock tense up by his side, and he knew he was thinking the same

“Did this AGRA threaten anyone else?” Sherlock was counting in his head the number of people Mary could have killed

“All of us at some point from Jacques to Milan. This AGRA knew all about you, that is, until you went missing in Serbia. After that AGRA was never mentioned again in the wires until Raven was killed, and even then, Number Four wasn’t sure it was AGRA, though he was certain it was them” Roman shuddered “Another thing that was weird was that this AGRA guy was behind the killing of the heads of M’s network, after you went to China, they finished with all the guys that were left of M’s network in Northern Europe”

“She did…” John closed his eyes and let a heavy breath escape his mouth

“She?” Yuri raised an eyebrow

“She… or he… they…” John tried to collect himself, remembering the many trips Mary had to make

“You think AGRA was a woman?” Roman looked at John intently

“Maybe they were. I mean, a man is easier to catch than a woman” He remembered Irene Adler and her great escapes.

“I don’t think so” Yuri shook his head “They had killed at least three hundred people, only in Europe!” Roman rolled his eyes with an amused expression. “I think AGRA was a man”

“Maybe he was…” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand

“Yeah, maybe” John looked flustered, he wanted to leave, be back in Baker Street, with his husband under their own roof, finish the repairs at 221C, buy Mrs. Turner flat to turn theirs into a large flat. Get a new baby and hide with Sherlock at Vienna, or Pau, for the rest of their lives

“I want that too” Sherlock whispered to John’s ear

“Are you sure?” John looked at his husband, studying him

“I want what you want” Sherlock reassured

“Then I want to go to every place you ever went and then go back home and be there with you for the rest of our lives” John smiled and forgot completely where they were. He reached for Sherlock’s face, but before they could kiss, Roman stopped them by clearing his throat and standing abruptly from the table

“Not safe” Yuri said in weirdly broken English

“Sorry… right…” John shook his head to clear it

“We should go. We still need to pack and get to the airport” Sherlock stood too and picked Bell from the baby chair “A plane is waiting for us and I want to be in Moscow before dark”

“Is it a private plane?” Yuri looked at his watch. Sherlock nodded “Then you’ll be there in less than four hours, unless they have you stop at Minsk” Sherlock cringed at this “Maybe you’ll be able to fly directly, being a private plane and all” he noticed Sherlock’s discomfort

“Thank you for a great lunch” John shook their hands “Sorry to dash like this, but we really want to be at Moscow before seven” John smiled “This young lady has a very tight schedule”  he rubbed Bell’s back

“Bye guys. Thank you for everything” Sherlock hugged his friends before walking right to the black sedan that was waiting for them. The car was already packed with their stuff.

They arrived to the airport in a short time, their plane waiting for them. The pilot handed Sherlock a note

‘ _Use it at will. M._ ’

“Brother” Sherlock greeted

“Brother”

“AGRA”

“Just heard the entire conversation”

“And?”

“Will have to talk to her about it…” Mycroft sighed

“Could I tell John?”

“If you must”

“Then I should”

“I love you, Lockie… I’m sorry…” Mycroft apologised

“I love you too, big brother” Sherlock ended the call with a smile

“We have a long trip ahead, don’t we?” John rubbed Sherlock’s back softly

“Yes, we do” Sherlock closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat

“Want to talk about it?” John called for the flight attendant “The bottle of scotch and two tumblers, please” The girl nodded “Okay, so… AGRA, again…” John emptied his tumbler with one swig

Sherlock followed his example, finished his tumbler and served more, then took another large swig. He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes and breathing deeply trough his nose. He felt the alcohol rush to his head and dizziness took over for a little while. As if out of sheer power of will, the flight attendant brought them some water and Sherlock downed it fast.

“AGRA… Mary, Anna Grace, and many other names I found out about later on, went rogue after my fall. Queenie…. well, Mycroft sent her file to me while I was in Romania. I wasn’t supposed to follow her, just know about her… be prevented, as Mycroft put it… Mycroft wasn’t sure if she was at the pool, but from the wires he captured, AGRA, MM, or whatever, was the one pointing at your chest in the pool, and the one that made sure I fell from the building, she was keeping an eye on me, and if I didn’t jump, she would have offed me”   

“She was there?”

“Yes, she saw everything, and she had an eye on you since the beginning. What I don’t get is why it took her so long to get to you…”

“She “appeared” about a year after you left. I was working at a new surgery; it was right before my birthday. She was the new nurse and looked friendly and caring. I don’t really have a thing for blondes but, I did have a thing for women in general, so…” Sherlock just huffed and John blushed but kept his hand tightly clasped with Sherlock’s “On the anniversary of your death, she asked me out for a coffee and I talked about you the entire time… When I realised I was on a date, it was too late and to thank her for asking I asked her out again and it soon became a daily ritual. After six months of coffees, I asked her out properly, and you know the rest…”

“I had just arrived in New York by the time your birthday came… If she knew I was alive it makes sense that she went after you to make sure that you didn’t know about me. But… why going after you? Unless she wanted you from the beginning…” Sherlock looked pensive

“Haven’t the faintest” John shrugged “Obsessive fan? Like Moriarty? What did Mycroft said?”

“Nothing. But according to what Roman and Yuri said, it was Number Four the one who was behind everything. I made sure Mycroft never knew about her shooting me…” ‘And when he did I asked him to protect her’ Sherlock thought “Your happiness is the most important thing for me, and believe me, I never imagined you would leave her after you found out she shot me…”

“I was already in love with you for so long by then…” John smiled sadly “It was really easy to stay with you, but I had the baby to take care of and I could never back out on a commitment, besides; being with you made me realise I had to leave her, that I needed to find a way to leave her and be with you. I needed time to devise a plan to get into your pants” John chuckled and made Sherlock smile

“I love you” Sherlock smiled

“I love you” John kissed him softly

“Mycroft said to tell you all about everything”

“He did?”

“Number Four is a woman. Remember Mycroft’s PA?” John nodded “The one you ogled since the first time you met her?” John blushed and looked down “I don’t know what name she gave you that time”

“Anthea, and I knew it was a fake”

“She’s quite crafty” Sherlock snorted “She’s Number Four. She was behind everything I did; she’s the one that found me in Serbia and gave Mycroft directions to get me. And now I’m certain she’s the one that knew all about Mary. I’ve just confirmed that she hides things from Mycroft; I followed her when she took you to see Irene. She’s not a double agent, but she has a hidden life. Maybe Mycroft knows, maybe he doesn’t. He owes me a conversation about it”

“You think he will tell you everything?”

“I think he will. We’re done with secrecy. He just allowed me to talk about her identity, his secret identity, mine… As you already know, I’m Raven. And come to think of it, he warned me about her, and he tried to keep me away from you after I came back… He was trying to keep you safe…” Sherlock had his eyes closed, his fingers steepled under his chin, he was checking facts in his Mind Palace, every little detail of his conversations with Mycroft, the denied information about Mary, the AGRA file, and all the info from the pen drive. Dead men’s faces, locations, rates, she was the best, after himself, of course.

“You okay?” John touched Sherlock’s cheek

“Yes, a little dizzy, that’s all. I think I had too much to drink too fast”

“Yeah, you had a lot to drink in less than two minutes”

“Liquid courage…”

“Sometimes we need some…”

“The good thing is that we have some time before landing for you to rest and get sober”

“I’m not drunk, love” Sherlock closed his eyes and felt the alcohol play with his brain

“Not drunk-drunk, but a little, yeah?”

“Just a little” Sherlock admitted

“Are you bored?” John handed some case files to Sherlock

“Not really, but If you’d like to help solve this fours and fives?”

“You have to ask?” John opened a file and began checking on the crime scene photographs

By the time they landed in Moscow, Bell had seen two movies, had a snack and was ready for bed, John and Sherlock had solved four cases and had already composed a mail for Greg explaining everything he needed to arrest the suspects. Sherlock received the keys to a suite in the centre of Moscow and their car keys.

“Do you want to drive to Saint Petersburg?” Sherlock asked before getting off the plane

“Why you ask?” John carried Bell and was about to leave

“Eight hours”

“I’ll think about it” John left the plane, Sherlock simply followed, carrying their bags


	57. First night at Moscow April 23rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of romance...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I've overcome writters block... Not really sure, but... For being so patient and reading me, you have two chapters today... Thank you so much for reading!!!

The suite was exactly what Sherlock was expecting. It was close to the Red Square and Kremlin. It had many commodities. A kitchen for them to cook, two rooms, one for them and the other for Bell, her cot, some toys, movies and her snacks. A note left in the kitchen table for Sherlock explaining that a maid will arrive every other day to help with the cleaning, and the offer to have a black sedan for them; the note also said that the penthouse had a few more surprises for them. Sherlock texted his brother a quick thank you and went to check on his husband and daughter

“Do you like it?” Sherlock hugged John from the back

“It’s perfect” John turned in his arms and kissed him softly on the lips “Do we have any food?”

“I think the pantry is full. I’ll check it. You check the fridge” Sherlock pulled away from John and went to the kitchen “Pantry’s full. We have tea, biscuits, from Hudders, a huge variety of snacks for Bell. There’s bread, flour, eggs, rice, pasta, you name it, we have it” Sherlock closed the cabinets

“And in the fridge we have milk, meat, bacon, peas, tomatoes… food for a battalion”

“Pasta or risotto?”

“Chinese…” John suggested

“Fried rice with shrimps from scratch?”

“Read my mind babe!” John winked and went to look for the ingredients.

After they ate, they went to look for a bath for their nightly ritual with Bell. To their surprise, there was a large tub in the main bedroom, and a door lead to a spa room, a sauna to one side and a hot tub to the other. The hot tub looked over the city. The Red Square could be seen close by, also Saint Basil’s Cathedral and some other landmarks that John wanted to visit.

They bathed Bell quickly and put her to bed in record time. Sherlock had recorder her favourite songs and played them all night for the little girl; John read to her while listening to the music. Like every night, she fell asleep quickly and allowed her parents to have a night of their own.

John went immediately to the hot tub and prepared it for him and Sherlock. He sat in front of a jet and the water helped him relax while he waited for Sherlock to join him. Sherlock brought a bottle of wine and sat next to John

“I know we shouldn’t drink while in a hot tub, but I think this just got as romantic as it could get” Hi clinked his glass against John’s

“Cheeky” John grinned and kissed Sherlock softly on the lips

“I’m what you’ve made me” Sherlock smiled against his lips

“I think we’ll be spending a lot of time in this particular room…” John moved closer to Sherlock and grazed his fingers on Sherlock’s thigh

“I think so too” Sherlock moved his leg and grazed it against John’s

“What are we doing tomorrow?” John leaned in to Sherlock’s shoulder and played with his left nipple

“We…” Sherlock heaved “We’ll be going to… notyetnotyet… the Red Square, The Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral” Sherlock breathed deeply, trying to control himself feeling John’s erection against his leg

“And…” John dipped and kissed Sherlock’s chest

“The…mmm” Sherlock moaned “the zoo” his voice faltered “the day after tomorrow…” He moved his hand to John’s chest “so we can have our talk…”

“How long has it been?” John asked as he straddled Sherlock

“What?”

“Since…” John blushed

“You mean…?” Sherlock smirked

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” John looked like a cherry

“What do you think?” Sherlock’s grin grew wider

“Fine…” John sighed “How long has it been since we had…” he looked down and whispered the next word “penetrative...” he cleared his throat “sex” he let out a breath

“See….” Sherlock raised an eyebrow “It wasn’t that difficult” he leered

“Are you going to answer me?” John moved away from Sherlock’s lap

“Your last time, or mine?” Sherlock kept on teasing

“Never mind” John moved away and took his towel to leave the hot tub

“John…” Sherlock pulled him back to the hot tub “It’s been too long… Bucharest for you and Sofia for me… the first night” Sherlock kissed John’s ear as a way to apologise “Having Bell has taken time away from our love making. We have to bathe her, put her to bed, and we’re usually exhausted before we even climb in to bed. Besides, we’re usually up by six; then we go out and about every place scheduled and we’re usually back at the nick of time” He kissed John’s neck and sucked slowly

“How did it happen?” John tilted his head and gave Sherlock more skin “How did we go from having mind blowing sex almost every night to once every week or so?”

“We still have non penetrative sex almost every night…” Sherlock sucked a little harder and made John moan

“And I thoroughly enjoy it” John thrusted up, feeling Sherlock’s erection against his “But I miss the feeling of you around me, and the feeling of you inside me” John thrusted again

“And I miss it too…” Sherlock moaned and grabbed John’s arse with both hands “We have to… ohgod… w-w-wait” Sherlock pushed John away from his lap “we have to find the time to make love as we like it, as many times as we like it, even if we have a daughter”

“We do…” John was panting, he had to calm down “We have Tim, and he can take care of Bell, like he did the other morning when we overslept” John was ogling Sherlock

“Me first…” Sherlock jumped John and sat on his lap “Water or bed?”

“Bed…” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear “I want to see your gorgeous face” he licked Sherlock’s ear

Sherlock climbed out the hot tub and wrapped a bathrobe around him “I’ll get the lube” he grinned and left a panting John to empty the tub. When he left the spa room, he found Sherlock lying naked in bed, spread like an eagle, eyes closed, looking as gorgeous as John expected

“Beautiful” John whispered and climbed to bed next to his husband. He was feeling nervous, as if it were the first time. Sherlock opened his eyes and John’s breath caught in his throat. Those aquamarine eyes made John gasp at the love and dedication he found in them. He closed the distance between his lips and Sherlock’s and kissed him tenderly, making Sherlock moan softly into John’s mouth. “I love you” He whispered against Sherlock’s lips

“I love you” Sherlock answered and moved his hand to John’s chest, caressing it slowly, allowing his hands to roam around known territory. His caresses, as tender as feathers, made John’s skin bristle, John felt a jolt of electricity run over his body, down his spine and up his belly; his hands found the well-known spaces of Sherlock’s hips and they created a slow rhythm, a rhythm of their own.

John felt Sherlock’s cock slide against his and a low growl escaped his mouth into Sherlock’s ear, the sound and the air made Sherlock squirm and held John closer

“Please…” Sherlock whimpered

“As you wish” John kissed him deeply and began opening him. He grabbed the lube from under the pillow ‘God, I love you’ John thought. He moved his lube covered fingers down Sherlock’s hole and started massaging slowly while kissing Sherlock softly. He pushed his finger in and made Sherlock gasp and thrust up “Okay?” John asked between kisses. Sherlock nodded and looked at John with trusting eyes

John pushed another finger in and played with Sherlock’s prostate; he enjoyed having Sherlock squirming under him. The third finger entered easily, that made Sherlock beg loudly for more and John complied, he squirted some more lube over his throbbing cock and pushed himself slowly inside Sherlock. Sherlock gasped and his eyes went wide at the feeling; a feeling he’s missed so much over the days. 

John stilled and looked up to find Sherlock’s eyes open and looking down at him. They locked gazes and shared a silent conversation, telling each other how much they loved one another. John’s hand travelled up to cup Sherlock’s cheek and Sherlock leaned in to the touch. They enjoyed the stillness for their own eternity before Sherlock’s breath hitched and John’s hand moved down to Sherlock’s hip, his chest fully rested on top of Sherlock’s, his other hand went to Sherlock’s leg and pulled it up, an unexpected thrust hit Sherlock’s sweet spot and his muscles clenched, eliciting a moan from John’s mouth that sounded as sinful as the moment allowed

John kept on thrusting, slow at first, then faster, harder, deeper “There, John, there… yespleaseyespleaseyesyesyesJohnJohnJohn” John shifted his hips and Sherlock came with a muffled shout. Another thrust and John was filling him up. Sherlock tried to open his eyes, but his mind was off, he could barely breathe, he tried to grasp for breath and his lungs were on fire, he tried to be quiet, but it wasn’t a possibility now. He wanted to laugh out loud, call John’s name until his voice went hoarse, his eyes were full of lights; his heart was pounding in his chest like a wild animal on the run, his hands stilled on John’s back, feeling John’s muscles move and relax under his touch.

John could feel everything, his skin was on fire, his lungs were begging for air, he shifted slightly and felt Sherlock clench around him and the movement made him shiver; he rested his head over Sherlock’s shoulder, peppering it with soft little kisses. His hands stilled over Sherlock’s hips, his fingers rubbing small circles over the hipbone.

“I love you, John” Sherlock whispered and kissed the top of John’s head

“I love you, Sherlock” John sighed against Sherlock’s neck “I don’t want to move, ever again” John mumbled sleepily

“Then don’t” Sherlock shifted and wrapped John with his arms and legs “Comfortable?”

“Never better” John yawned and rested his head on the crook of Sherlock’s neck

Two hours later, Sherlock was wide awake, teasing his husband up (no pun intended). John opened his eyes and looked down to his husband, enjoying the view before his eyes

“Come up here” John pulled him up and Sherlock straddled him

“Gladly” Sherlock dipped his head and kissed his husband breathless

“I love the way you wake me up” John carded his fingers on Sherlock’s curls and pulled him down to kiss him again, biting his lower lip and teasing Sherlock’s mouth open

“Again?” Sherlock grinned

“God, yes” John grabbed Sherlock’s hips and directed him.


	58. Moscow. April 24rd to May 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Helmand there is a district called Nad-e-Ali, close to the capital, Lashkar Gah. The British Forces had a base there. It was a “Hot Zone”, many men were killed over the six years the British were stationed there, and one of the nights I was there I was in charge of killing kids…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, another chapter... Heading to Mexico with my lovely boys now!

By seven in the morning, they were as fresh as if they’ve had the most restful night in their lives. Bell, unlike every other morning, was as quiet as a little mouse, and waited patiently for her parents, calling only once for Daddy Sher. John prepared breakfast for them and was enchanted with Sherlock’s face as he ate and got his daughter to eat too.              

“What’s our first stop?” John asked swallowing his piece of toast 

“We’re going sightseeing, love” Sherlock pushed another piece of papaya in Bell’s mouth “You can choose the first place”

“You’ll show me where you went?”

“Yes my love” Sherlock smiled softly at John

Their first stop was The Kremlin. It would take them an entire day to visit the many museums. They went to the Armoury Chamber first. The nine halls filled with history made John gasp at every sight. He was mesmerised by the textiles and ornamentations, the delicacy of the ceremonial object, and of course, he was in awe by the unsurmountable knowledge his husband displayed.

Before their next stop they stepped out to the Cathedral Square and gave Bell her snack. The next stop was Ivan the Great bell-tower complex. They climbed to see the bells and enjoyed the exhibition about the Kremlin’s history. In a very un-Sherlockian way, Sherlock stood still as we watched the exhibitions float in mid-air. At the Patriarch`s Palace they both enjoyed their time watching the many art works, particularly the embroidery and the silver instruments.

By lunch time they left the complex, with the promise to return and visit the Annunciation Cathedral and the Archangel`s Cathedral. By four they were at The Red Square, with enough time to spare and visit Saint Basil’s. Once there, John took a deep breath and realised where he was. It struck him like lightning that they had made it to Russia, that he was in Moscow, walking the same streets Sherlock had walked a long time ago.

As realisation settled, he remembered all the other countries they had been, and it seemed so long ago. He watched his husband holding little Bell’s hand and showing her one of the many paintings at the church and realised they were a family, that he was a father, that he had a daughter and a partner, that he was happy. He approached them and kissed Sherlock’s cheek making him blush, a beautiful dark red spreading over his cheeks and ears; and he couldn’t believe he still had that effect after two years of being together.

After the cathedral they walked to a café and shared a quiet moment, simply holding hands and watching Bell colour. Sherlock had bought her a colouring book, and even though the little girl lacked still the abilities to paint, she was entertained and her parents were relaxed. After a nice coffee, they walked back to the flat, holding hands.

John made dinner and Sherlock helped; it was Thai night, extra cashews, just in case. Bell went to sleep as soon as the first chords and Beethoven’s fifth began and her parents prepared the hot tub. Another very romantic night was ahead, and Sherlock made sure John enjoyed it thoroughly.

In the morning, fully rested since they decided to enjoy each other as much as possible, they headed to the Zoo. Bell was excited and ran away from her fathers as far as she could, only to find herself strapped to a colourful walking harness. They walked hand in hand and decided to talk and walk, watching Bell as she leaned against a few encasements and yelped and giggled excitedly at every animal she saw, giving them estrange names, trying to chase the birds and butterflies and losing herself at the sight of white owls

“I’m ready” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand

Sherlock took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, then at his husband and nodded “I arrived to Moscow after a week in Kazakhstan. I travelled for three days; I had to drive alone, though I know Sergei and Yuri were following me. I decided to drive for twelve hours each day, stopping to eat and drink, to sleep and plan. I had to meet Blanicoff again, strategize, and follow some of the leads I already had” Sherlock’s right hand trembled in John’s left

“Want to stop?” Sherlock shook his head

“Just remembered the shot…” Sherlock closed his eyes and squeezed John’s hand tighter; feeling his hand was grounding and relaxing. John kissed his shoulder and the strange pain disappeared “Thank you…” Sherlock whispered

“I love you” John smiled and bit his lip, making Sherlock blush to the tips of his ears “Adorable” John sighed and kissed Sherlock’s hand, making Sherlock look down felling bashful

“Stop it. John…” Sherlock glanced up and saw John smiling

“Fine… I’ll leave it for later” John winked “Carry on”

“Okay” Sherlock smirked, then bit his lip and frowned, remembering his time in Russia “As soon as I arrived, Andrei and Nikka were waiting for me. It was almost eight in the night. I’ve been driving for over twelve hours and I was feeling exhausted” Sherlock’s shoulders sagged as the pain appeared again “They took me to the safe place near the Red Square. I had a shower and abed waiting for me, also a hot meal that felt like a banquet. I don’t think I ever ate with such gusto during those two years” Sherlock saw John frown

“It was cold still. I arrived to Moscow in February”

“February?” John looked at Sherlock and tried to do the math in his head, but for the time being he let the apparent slip slide

“It was cold. I remember it was snowing, so I guess it was February” Sherlock shrugged “Since it was snowing, and only food and a good sleep would help me get over the cold I was feeling. Nikka handed me clothes for the cold, and three days after my arrival I had a meeting with Blanicoff. As I told you before, he was my contact here in Russia, and he led me to many of Moriarty’s men, including Moran. In the end, I sort of helped him get to where he was” A shiver ran down Sherlock’s body “Blanicoff gave me names, addresses, contacts, everything he needed so I could help him. Irya Gavrilov was the current drug lord, Moriarty’s direct contact. He was the head of all Russian drug lords including the ones in Saint Petersburg”

“What happened to Gavrilov?”

“Blanicoff had him killed. It was a clear hit, but he made it look like an accident. He downed his plane. He was going from Moscow to Saint Petersburg and his plane “went” missing. They found him and his plane near Lake Ilmen, according to the papers it was an accident, the plane lost altitude and he supposedly died on impact. Mycroft sent the evidence and he was poisoned, he was dead before impact, that’s why the plane crashed so close to Saint Petersburg; he had just eaten. His entire crew died, the poison was in the coffee” Sherlock checked on Bell and saw his little girl watching awed at the polar bears and he knew he’ll have to buy her a plush toy

“And you assume Blanicoff killed him” John followed Sherlock’s gaze and smiled

“I know it was him. Because he poisoned the leaders, one by one, and I helped him. I didn’t poison them, but I gave Blanicoff information about them, schedules, number of body guards, types of foods and beverages. That is what I was supposed to do, that was my mission, have them kill each other…”

“Did you kill any of them?”

“No. but I might as well have done it, because I pointed to their weaknesses…” Sherlock looked down and felt like a murderer.

“It was the job…” John remembered his death toll

“But I could have done it differently”

“In Helmand there is a district called Nad-e-Ali, close to the capital, Lashkar Gah. The British Forces had a base there. It was a “Hot Zone”, many men were killed over the six years the British were stationed there, and one of the nights I was there I was in charge of killing kids…” They both looked at their daughter and Sherlock pulled her closer and carried her, they both hugged her and John felt his worries and guilt melt away, he kissed her little head before putting her down again “I didn’t pull the trigger but I gave the order… twenty kids between fifteen and seventeen. They were carrying grenades and threatened the lives of two hundred people” John shivered and leaned closer to Sherlock “It was the job… Could I have done it differently?”

“I don’t know all the facts, but I’m quite certain your decision was the correct one”

“Don’t go all logic on me, Sherlock”

“I don’t see how you could have done things differently” Sherlock shook his head thinking about the many hard choices they’ve had to make along their lives, just to be where they were now

“I don’t see how you could have done things differently either” John kissed Sherlock’s shaky hand “I love you, so much” John pulled him down for a kiss

“We’ve reached the kids’ studio” Sherlock pointed at a building with kiddy decorations

“Good” John breathed “We can sit and keep talking” He smiled. They left Bell paint and play while they talked. Sherlock sat next to John and watched over their little girl

“She’s grown so much in the last couple of months” Sherlock kept on looking at Bell “She’s really beautiful” He was smiling, his eyes slightly glazed over

“I know. We still have to choose our surrogate” John looked at Sherlock and loved the way he was looking at Bell

“We can do that tonight” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek and held his hand

“Ready?” Sherlock nodded and took a deep breath

“It took Blanicoff seven weeks to clear the entire clan; he worked from the base to the top. I helped him with the top. In the two weeks I was here, he managed to kill the boss of all bosses and eleven more men before I had to go to Saint Petersburg. He gave me a few names of men in the United States and some in Belarus and Serbia. I used him the same way he used me. I was able to work schedules, know about shipments. As I told you, once he began to talk he would never stop. I think I had the upper hand at some point, before he found out who I really was”

“Your bother said…” John began but Sherlock stopped him

“He explained everything to me that night at Sofia” John sighed in relief “We were in danger and now we’re not” He caressed John’s cheek “We can walk around Russia without fear, and I’m glad it only took a bullet” John stroked Sherlock’s shoulder and kissed it “I didn’t kill a single man in Moscow, but I did kill several in Saint Petersburg, it was a matter of do or die”

“How many?”

“Over a dozen, maybe even more than twenty” Sherlock could feel his throat closing, all the men he had to kill in order to survive “One of them tortured me. He was one of the last remnants of Gavrilov’s clan. He kept asking about my connection with Blanicoff and why I was in so many photographs with him. He kept me in a four by four cellar for almost five days until Nikka and Andrei found me. He took my phone away that’s why it took them that long”

“Weren’t they tailing him?”

“Yes, they were, but he locked me up in a tiny store room, whenever he went inside the signal would get lost and they wouldn’t know where he was; eventually; one of my homeless gave them a lead, telling them that he could hear weird sound of someone being beaten”

“Those are the scars under the scars?” John shuddered, remembering the map Sherlock had on his back

“Yes” Sherlock leaned into John and rubbed his head against John’s neck

“How did he cause these?” John rubbed Sherlock’s back, knowing exactly which scars to trace

“He used a whip. It had steel balls in the ends, four ends, for maximum damage. He would come thrice a day and hit me for about an hour, asking me the same questions over and over again. The fifth day he came once and by the time he was supposed to come the second time, Andrei’s voice called for me from the floor above. He released me and they immediately took me to a hospital”

“How long were you in hospital?”

“Three days. They had me sedated because Jacques was late and couldn’t tell them I’m an addict. I tried to explain but the doctor said I was delusional, all because in my moments of pain I called for you”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there my love” John kissed him slowly and softly, caressing his cheeks with his thumbs and enjoying the feeling of Sherlock’s lips on his own

“You were there, always” Sherlock returned the kisses with the same tenderness

“What happened after you were released from hospital?”

“I went to look for the guy that had tortured me, the idea was to capture him, but the team that went with me was too… small… We were ten; they were about a hundred or more. Andrei handed me a gun and I gave chase to the man that tortured me. As soon as he recognised me he called for backup and twenty guys practically surrounded me, they had pipes, guns and knives and they decided I should fight for my life. The first one tried to kill me and I bashed his head against the tarmac”

“He died…” John imagined the many ways a man could die from a hit to the head

“Yes” Sherlock had his eyes closed and a firm grasp on John’s hand “I broke his skull, I couldn’t stop hitting him until his head cracked” Sherlock was shivering, he had killed a man viciously

“And the others?”

“By the time I killed the man; Andrei and Nikka were behind me and saw part of it. The saved my life several times that night, these guys had snippers and one of our team was in charge of cheeking the containers, and he found several men at the top of them, ready to kill me. I asked for his name but no one told me, so I’m sure it was either Daniel or Marco” Sherlock was shivering and John held him close “Andrei and Nikka sneaked behind them and lured a few, ten or twelve and I was left with the man that tortured me and a few other guys. They tried to attack but I was already enraged so I attacked first. One of them fractured my wrist and I had to use the gun. I fired a couple of times and one of the bullets ricocheted and hit one of the guys in the leg, it nicked the femoral artery and he bled to death in less than a minute. The man that tortured me, I killed with my bare hands”

“How?”

“Broke his neck. I pushed him and he hit his head, so I took advantage of his confusion and hit him in the back of the head, his neck snapped and he fell in front of me. I then realized I had killed over ten men almost with my bare hands” Sherlock’s right hand trembled “Nikka and Andrei were there, looking at me. Then Andrei called for a car and they took me back to the hospital. I had to wear a cast for about four weeks. My trip to China was quite interesting with that cast”

“I totally understand. I broke a few bones that way…” John was remembering his own Helmand hell “I faced a few unarmed Taliban and had to protect myself, so I had to break a few bones”

“Helmand?”

“Yes…”

“Dark times…”

“The worst, I couldn’t sleep, they kept on firing at the camp. The night raids were the worst because we never knew who could be next”

“I spent so many nights thinking about the same, thinking that that night could be my last”

“I’m so glad you’re home, with me” John kissed him again

“I’m so glad I’m home, with you” Sherlock looked at John, his eyes filled with love

“I think we should go. Little lady over there’s moody and hungry. We’re late for lunch” John checked his watch and it was twenty past two

“You’re right. Let’s go. I have an idea”

Sherlock took his family to a little Italian place he had the chance to visit his first time and ordered John’s favourites. After a nice lunch, Bell fell asleep in her Daddy Sher’s arms and they had to take a cab back to the flat. John noticed that Sherlock, in spite of acting as if he was in a good mood, had that look in his eyes, he knew an episode was on his way and he’ll have to be prepared


	59. All I want to do is be here for you. April 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m here, my love” John reached for Sherlock but it was a bad idea, Sherlock grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed before trying to choke him; the soldier in John reacted immediately and moved away from Sherlock. He waited for his heart to settle and started talking to Sherlock in a soothing tone “Sherlock, open your eyes, you’re dreaming” John kept trying “Listen to my voice Sherlock, it’s me, John. We’re safe, we’re together. I love you, Sherlock. Open your eyes”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going away for a while... I really don't know when I'll be back but I'll try to update as soon as possible
> 
> Thank you for reading. LYA!!

As John predicted, Sherlock had an episode. As soon as they arrived to the flat, baby Bell was up from her nap and ready to play. Daddy Sher had bought her a polar bear and she was very pleased with her increasing collection of plush toys. Daddy John and daddy Sher played with her for about an hour and then Daddy John went to the kitchen to cook while Daddy Sher taught her a few more words in perfect English and perfect French.

Daddy Sher was acting weird and Daddy John knew it, so she was left alone to enjoy some parent approved shows; and not the moronic and mindless princesses they keep on showing as the perfect example for a little and very impressionable little girl; all while they cooked together and read important files, almost like every night. Daddy John knew exactly what to do to keep Daddy Sher busy and happy. They cooked together, flirted, kissed and made a delicious meal that made Bell’s tummy growl and she too, went to the kitchen to ask for food, just like the little proper lady she is

After dinner, and her bath, Daddy Sher played the violin, a sad tune, and Daddy John was there, looking at Daddy Sher with worried eyes. She eventually fell asleep and all the worries she might have had left her mind and she dreamed of pirates and detectives, about Bluebeard and The Raven, even though she wasn’t sure about what she was dreaming.

Outside Bell’s happy and fulfilling world, John was holding a crying Sherlock, he was silent, and shivery, his body shook with seemingly endless tremors, until he too, fell asleep. John watched over him until sleep took him prisoner. He made arrangements with Mycroft for Tim to take care of Bell the next day

“It’s one of the worst I’ve ever witnessed” John said with a worried voice

“He told you about Russia, then” Mycroft let out a long and sad sigh

“Yes. His last episode was in Italy” John rubbed Sherlock’s arm after he heard him sob in his sleep

“Where he tortured that man” Mycroft’s voice changed from sleepy to concerned

“Yeah. I’m worried that he’ll have an even worst episode if we ever make it to Serbia, though it might be a good idea for him to visit that place again. Would you mind coming and taking care of Bell with Greg, or your family?”

“I’ll do whatever you ask, John” Mycroft tried to reassure his brother in law “As soon as you decide when to go to Serbia, I’ll take my niece away and keep her wherever you decide”

“Thank you, Mycroft” John breathed deeply “By the way; we choose a surrogate already”

“Number eighteen?”

“How… I don’t want to know”

“She’s clever; I would have chosen her too. By the way, I’ve already interviewed her, the moment I sent you the file. The Doctor is already experimenting on her, so as soon as the product is viable I’ll let you know”

“God… Mycroft…” John wanted to scold him, but, for once, his brother in law made the right decision “Thank you…”

“No need for that, just, please, take care of him, and if things get worse, let me know, I’ll be there as soon as I can” Mycroft begged

“I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes, but it might be a good idea for you and Greg to come and meet us at Saint Petersburg”

“I’ll do it, though I don’t think Gregory will be able to do so; he’s been busy; by the way, he’s in dire need of Sherlock’s help. As soon as my brother is up, please, do call him”  

“I will, I promise. Thank you Mycroft, sorry to wake you up”

“Bye John, see you soon” Mycroft ended the call. He was worried, his brother had some major healing to do; he could only hope John could really handle it

John opened his eyes and could smell breakfast, he was startled by the sound of many voices coming from the kitchen and he had an armful of sleeping Detective, so the only one in the kitchen could be Tim with Bell, making her breakfast. John was thankful to the young man and called him to their room. Instead of Tim, a smiling Molly appeared at their door with a tray.

“Hi lovey!” She beamed at him and John sat on the bed, a look of disbelief in his eyes

“You…” John smiled back

“Missed you terribly, so here we are”

“We?”

“Tobias is here too” Molly blushed

“Tobias?”

“Gregson”

“Oh, right, Scotland Yard” John shook his head without losing his smile

“He’s talking to Tim and playing with Bell. Mycroft had a plane prepared for us last night; he said you might need some help with the little lady”

“Yeah…” John nodded. I really can’t move from this bed right now. I don’t want him to wake up and not find me here” John hugged Sherlock closer and could feel the man relax in his arms and sigh happily

“I get that” Molly looked at the Detective longingly “I brought you breakfast” She snapped out of her reverie and handed John the tray “I have something ready for him too, but I don’t think he’ll be up anytime soon” Molly said, worried

“I’ll make sure he eats as soon as he’s up. Are you going to visit the town?” John asked while he sipped his tea

“Yup. Taking Bell with us”

“Thanks Molls”

“I won’t rest until she calls me Auntie Molly”

“I’m sure she will in no time” John smiled

“Be back for lunch, lovey” Molly blew a kiss at him

“See you” John blew a kiss back

John settled back in bed, he had his laptop ready so he checked some mails and prepared the cases Greg had sent them, he also answered Harry’s mails and wrote to Bill and James about their trip. He made sure that his Detective was comfortable and checked on him every hour. The moment he decided to take a shower, Sherlock startled, apparently awake and called for him desperately.

“John, please, John” Sherlock cried and looked all over, his eyes still closed, he was having a nightmare

“I’m here, my love” John reached for Sherlock but it was a bad idea, Sherlock grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed before trying to choke him; the soldier in John reacted immediately and moved away from Sherlock. He waited for his heart to settle and started talking to Sherlock in a soothing tone “Sherlock, open your eyes, you’re dreaming” John kept trying “Listen to my voice Sherlock, it’s me, John. We’re safe, we’re together. I love you, Sherlock. Open your eyes”

Sherlock relaxed a bit and slumped into bed “He knows, he knows I love you, he wants to kill you, but I won’t let him” Sherlock started talking frantically

“I’m alive my love. I love you. I’m here, reach for me” John approached the bed. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. Sherlock moved his hand and grabbed John’s hand and pulled him into an embrace

“I thought I had lost you” he whimpered

“That would never happen” John soothed his still sleeping Detective. Sherlock melted into the embrace and relaxed. It would be another two hours before Sherlock opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was John, his blue eyes looking down at him, lovingly. He was smiling, that smile that melted Sherlock’s world

“You stayed” Sherlock nuzzled John’s chest

“All I want to do is be here for you” John answered, carding his fingers on Sherlock’s hair

“How long?”

“Fifteen”

“Two hours less…” Sherlock breathed deeply “I attacked you”

“You tried” John held him tight

“I’m sorry…”

“It was my fault, I thought you were up”

“What time is it?”

“Noon”

“Bell?”

“At the park with Molly and Tobias”

“Did you have breakfast? Wait…” Sherlock sat up “Who’s Tobias?”

“Gregson, from the Yard”

“Right… Molly’s here?”

“Yup. So we better get a shower because she said she’ll be back for lunch” Sherlock nodded and allowed his Doctor to take him to the shower and bathe him tenderly.

By one, Molly was back at the flat with an armful of Bell and all the plush toys in the world, owls, tigers, polar bears, lions, even alligators. They’d gone to the Zoo again and Bell had bamboozled her Auntie Moll into buying her the entire toy store

“Oh Molly…” John shook his head trying to hide his grin

“Yeah, I’m a fool. I know” Molly was smiling at the little girl “But she calls me Auntie Moll, so I’ll buy all the toys in the world as long as she keeps calling me that” She tickled Bell and the little girl laughed and squirmed before hugging her Auntie Moll, making her gasp and her eyes fill with tears

“Thank you” John reached for Bell but the little girl was perched up in Molly’s arms and wasn’t willing to let go

“Hi Molls” Sherlock greeted her and pecked her cheek, at this Bell jumped to her father’s arms and clung to him for dear life, snuggling close and grabbing his shirt collar

“Oh… I see…” John smiled fondly at his daughter. He too went and gave Molly a kiss and Bell jumped to his arms “Jealous much?” John laughed and patted Bell’s back “What if I kiss Daddy?” He asked giving Sherlock a tender kiss on the lips, Bell snuggled closer and sighed in relief when she saw her parents share a kiss

“So, no more women in our futures” Sherlock teased and hugged Molly close “Thank you for coming” He kissed her cheek again

“None of that, my friend” Molly winked “I had to meet the little lady and it’s been so long since I last saw you”

“Have any plans?” Molly shook her head “We can go to the ballet tomorrow. There’s a Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet presentation at the Kremlin”

“You think you can get tickets?” Molly beamed, she loved Romeo and Juliet

“I can call a few favours” Sherlock pulled his phone out and in less than a minute he had tickets for the ballet the next night and the opera for the day before they left Moscow “Love?” John looked up “We’re going to see La Traviata before we leave” John simply nodded

“Your friends?”

“The night before?”

“Perfect” John went to the kitchen to start lunch and patted Sherlock’s buttock in the way he liked it, making him blush

During lunch they talked about Molly and Tobias, his intentions, how they met, if they had any plans for the future. Although Molly was grateful, she could feel Tobias tense up next to her

“We haven’t seen you much” John pointed at him with his fork

“Gregory… I mean… Inspector Lestrade is usually in charge of your cases. We can walk in one or two, three if we’re lucky enough, but it was an honour working with you in your first case together, I was in charge of interrogating the family members and Greg… Inspector Lestrade sent me to Cardiff to look after Mrs. Wilson’s daughter”

“But you’re an Inspector too?”

“Yes. That’s why I oversaw the interrogations”

“I hope we can work together again”

“Thank you” Tobias blushed “I hope so too”

“Excuse me” Sherlock excused himself and answered his phone. It was vibrating relentlessly “Sherlock Holmes”

“Hey love!” Nikka’s sweet voice greeted him

“Nikka!” Sherlock’s smile faltered

“”How are you my sweetness?” She sing-songed 

“Fine. Great, you?”

“Wanting to see you. Yuri says you have a few surprises in storage for us”

“That I do. But you didn’t call to ask me that, right?”

“Clever boy…” Nikka chuckled “We have a case... Care to help us?” Sherlock looked at John and pointed at the phone, John approached him and Sherlock leaned close to John’s ear to have him listen to the conversation

“A case?”

“Yes” Nikka answered “It’s about Gavrilov” Sherlock paled “He’s dead my darling, so there in nothing for you to worry about; and if rumours are correct, so is Blanicoff” Nikka sighed what seemed a sigh of relief “It’s about Gavrilov’s granddaughter… she’s missing” John nodded at Sherlock

“How old is she?”

“Eight months. From Gravilov’s youngest”

“Where and when was she taken?”

“At a park about ten minutes ago; we’re waiting for instructions. Can we meet tonight?” John nodded

“Yes” Sherlock gave to her the address to the flat and John remembered he had promised to call Greg

“Love?” Sherlock looked at John “Greg asked for you to call him as soon as you woke up”

“I’m on it” Sherlock called Greg immediately and was greeted by a very angry Donovan

“What?” Donovan greeted

“Sally Donovan” Sherlock scowled

“Freak?”

“Inspector Lestrade asked me to call him, so if you could…” Sherlock’s voice was cold

“He’s busy. Since you left he’s been doing his work, unlike a freak I happen to know” She scolded. John grabbed Sherlock’s phone and almost threw it against the wall but contained his anger

“Donovan? Watson. Hand Greg the phone or I swear…” His tone was menacing. Less than a minute later Greg’s tired voice was on the phone

“Lestrade” He greeted to the unknown caller

“Hi Greg” They both greeted

“Finally, have your laptop close?”

“I’ll fetch it” John went to the room and fetched his computer “Got it”

“Turn it on. I’m wearing that fucking head camera. I’m in deep shite here” Greg shuffled around and sent a ping to John’s computer. He soon was feeding images left and right to John and Sherlock. Lunch soon forgotten and the excitement of two cases in one day bubbling low in their stomachs “Ready?” Greg asked and they both answered “Yes” rather quickly, almost desperately

“I need a pan out” Sherlock ordered “Turn your head slowly left to right then up and down” He said and Lestrade complied “Stop” Sherlock practically shouted and made the entire Yard jump to their toes at the commanding voice of one missing Consulting Detective “There, low on the wall in front of you, get closer” Sherlock commanded again and Lestrade simply followed the command “There’s a scratch, nails, a woman was there. Look down, slowly, and in the same spot” Lestrade did “A nail, pick it up and you’ll find it belongs to the deceased’s wife”

“She’s the guilty party?” Lestrade asked to the void

“No, she’s another victim. I need to check the mantle before I check the body. Do a close up to the mantle and the pictures there” Greg did as asked, moving the camera slowly “Show me his body” Greg turned and looked at the body “Move slowly, from top to bottom. I need to see his head first”

“Blunt force trauma” John pointed “But that nasty cut on his throat is cause of death” He traced the man’s throat on the screen

“Defensive wounds in arms and hands, and by the position of his body he was defending someone else” Sherlock looked pensive “He was attacked by a right handed man, the cut to his throat is messy so he was facing his assailant, he fell right in front of his wife, there’s a blood splatter patron on the wall behind the body, and there is a clean space where another person, maybe body, was leaning against”

Greg chuckled “Been here almost two days and you have it in less than two minutes”

“Show me his feet” Sherlock commanded “No shoes, so he knew his assailant. I need to see the door”

“The door wasn’t forced, but it’s broken” Greg walked away from the body and Sherlock made him stop “What?” Greg groaned in frustration, he wanted this case to be over with

“The wife, she’s dead” Sherlock said and looked at the spot Greg had stopped “She’s under those floor boards you’re stepping on, there, there might be a secret room of sorts, open it and you’ll find her” Greg did as told, and effectively, found the missing wife, covered in her husband’s blood, the pattern that Sherlock suggested she might have “Check the body”

Greg looked over her body not finding much information, except that she was choked to death “Traces of some fabric, he used some cloth to choke her” Sherlock pointed at the screen and John nodded “She was beaten before. The murderer has a ring on his right hand, she has the mark over her right cheek, he backhanded her” Sherlock traced a pattern over the screen “Her hands” Greg moved to her hands and he too could see some defensive wounds, including a few broken nails and a swollen wrist

“He broke her hand” John swallowed hard, he hated cases that involved domestic violence “Swollen wrist, her lips are swollen too, he hit her on her face and you might find a few broken ribs too, his husband was defending her”

“Look for her brother. Do they have kids?”

“No” Greg remembered that Sherlock’s wasn’t there so shaking his head was of no use

“Go to the door” Sherlock ordered and John scowled at him “Please” He added. Greg approached the door and showed it to them “The murdered tried to disguise this as a random attack; he kicked the door to make it seem as if it was kicked open, but actually he kicked it closed until he broke it. He was desperate to cover everything up. You might find the knife where the wife was stashed. Look for her brother and let me know what happens” Sherlock stood up and ran his fingers through his hair, he was feeling the rush

“Sherlock, wait!” Greg called and pointed the camera to his face “What do you mean by “get the brother” how…?”

“Seriously?” Sherlock sighed in frustration “Look at the mantle over the fireplace, again” He said and Greg went over “There’s a photograph there, see the man hugging her?” Greg nodded at the camera “Point the camera to it” Greg did “The man hugging her, same genotype…” he pointed at the screen and John looked at him in awe “And he’s wearing a ring, if you do a close up… yeah, the same pattern that she has on her face. So… off you go… Get your murderer” Sherlock went to the kitchen

“Bye Greg…” A perplexed John went to the kitchen too. He hugged Sherlock from the back and snuggled close to him, he made Sherlock turn in his arms and looked up at him “Amazing” he said and kissed him deeply “Just… brilliant” John kissed his neck and was about to open his shirt when a flustered Molly and a bashful Tobias cleared their throats “Sorry…” John pinked up to his ears and looked down, feeling horrendously ashamed

“We’re taking Bell to a park we saw nearby” Molly practically jumped from her chair and picked Bell up “We’ll be back by four, we want to do some more sightseeing” She was by the door by the time she finished her sentence “See ya…” She closed the door behind her and they could hear them running to the lift. Sherlock laughed loudly and hugged John close

“You were saying…” He whispered in John’s ear

“I…” John felt dizzy but looked up at his husband’s face. Sherlock’s eyes were dark with desire and John melted under his intense gaze. He pulled him in for a kiss and began walking to their room, clothes flying everywhere. By the time Molly and Tobias returned, with yet another batch of toys for little Bell, they both had dressed up properly and both had smiling faces.


	60. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson May 2nd saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> According to what Sherlock heard, they needed one more girl, a toddler instead of a baby, between eighteen and twenty four months, they already had a target and were willing to do whatever was needed to get that girl, even though they might have to wait for a couple of days. Sherlock paled when he heard them plan the kidnapping, but I could see him turn absolutely white once he heard what they were planning on doing to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a documentary I once saw about drug trafficking... If this grosses you out, you can skip it.  
> Thanks for reading!

**The little Matryoshkas (ask Sherlock)**

It wasn’t the first time Sherlock called me in the middle of the night with a case, but this time, it took me to Russia, to Moscow if I’m being precise. This has been one of the most horrific cases I’ve witnessed while being Sherlock’s work partner, and the most gruesome of our lives. It shook me to my very core and made me rethink several things about my life and the way I handle my family’s security.

The moment I arrived to Russia I was received by a Russian agent that was helping Sherlock with the case. He handed me a few documents about the kidnappings of many little girls and I was horrified by the notion of my little girl going missing, so all my effort and concentration were directed to find them. Even before I knew about the details of the case, I was glad she was back at home, safe and secure, at least for the time being.

I met with Sherlock that night and we immediately followed a lead that had arrived to the Criminal Investigation Office. According to the note, the people that had taken the latest girl wanted one million euros, and to prove they were being serious about their threats, they sent a few hairs from the eight months old baby they had taken. Her mother, one of the many women that had been looking for their daughters, offered to pay, and an exchange was programmed; it was to take place in the next couple of hours.

As always, Sherlock wanted to be there, follow the man that offered to receive the money and see if they would lead us to the other babies they had taken within the last couple of weeks. All was set, we were ready and the father of the little girl was right on time. But everything was wrong from the beginning.

The man in charge of the exchange handed the father a buggy, the “negotiator” took the money while the father checked on the baby, only to find a doll instead of his daughter. He gave the signal and Sherlock gave chase to the fleeing man We ended up following him to the sewers and he got lost amongst many homeless that live under the city. In his almost perfect Russian, Sherlock bribed a few of them for information that lead us to a warehouse under the city.

Even though I wanted to wait for backup, I knew that any minute lost was detrimental for the case, so I gave chase to Sherlock until we reached the warehouse. He did text for help and stayed silent for a while, trying to breathe again, he ordered me to keep quiet and we could hear a few men talking and laughing, and Sherlock made me notice that there were no sounds of children inside. We waited until we heard the laughter subside, and Sherlock heard the conversation between two men, one of them being the “negotiator” and the other one the abductor

According to what Sherlock heard, they needed one more girl, a toddler instead of a baby, between eighteen and twenty four months, they already had a target and were willing to do whatever was needed to get that girl, even though they might have to wait for a couple of days. Sherlock paled when he heard them plan the kidnapping, but I could see him turn absolutely white once he heard what they were planning on doing to her.

The men were managing a drug smuggling operation, they were using the babies as containers for the drugs, and since they posed as sleeping babies, no one noticed the babies were dead and that they were being used as drug carriers. Sherlock was horrified, he needed to stop the operation and decided that an arrest at that moment could be counterproductive; the men had no idea that Sherlock and one of the Russian Politsiya were listening to them and had heard the entire plan.

They planted an officer; he was portraying a homeless man, almost as well as Sherlock did. Three days later, with a plan ready, Sherlock followed the two men to a secret location where he found the “mothers and babies”, he alerted the police and the whole operation was set up, they’ll capture them as soon as they tried to leave Moscow with the drugs. Sherlock also identified the boss, and several marksmen were posted at every entrance, police men at every train station and airport.

Sherlock knew we were dealing with a large human and drug trafficking network, perhaps one of the biggest in Eastern Europe, if not the world. With the help of the British Government, Sherlock was able to find several connections between missing kids along Europe and America, mostly babies and toddlers, disappearing from parks, nurseries, hospitals. The operation was to take place in several locations, including England, France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Poland and of course, Russia.

All the teams were set to act at the exact same time; Sherlock commanded all of them with the help of a few other agents he had met while working for other police forces around the world. The decoy was ready, the “toddler” a recent decease at a local hospital was placed instead of the intended victim and the abductor acted promptly, as previously planned.

The moment the “negotiator” noticed the baby was already dead, he tried to flee the scene but several police officers detained him, he didn’t have enough time to alert the other and as a result, the operation that Sherlock had staged was a success, meaning that he was able to dismantle the network, sadly, he could only deliver the babies bodies to their parents.

We found twenty corpses of girls, raging between new-borns and two year old toddlers, all dissected and filled with drugs. The perpetrator called them “little matryoshkas” refereeing to them as simple containers for something smaller than them. The “mothers” were arrested too; they would leave the country with one baby and return with another filled with money. In the end, over a thousand people were arrested in different countries. They were accused of coercion, child abuse, drug and human trafficking, murder, kidnapping and other felonies. The means they used to abduct and coerce money from the parents were sickening, they would play them to obtain money for an already deceased child, the parents would pay and they wouldn’t even deliver the remains of the deceased children.

Sherlock recovered the body of the last abducted baby and delivered it to their parents. It was a heart-breaking scene. Even though he praises himself about being a heartless machine, and always declaring that love is a disadvantage, a chemical defect, he seemed somehow affected by the way the parents looked at their little baby, lifeless, cut open, used like a little Matryoshka Doll.

**(My love, thank you for showing this to me before you publish it; unlike the other times, you barely mentioned Bell, or the press. Thank you for not letting people know I was truly affected. I love you. S)**


	61. Where could she be? April 25th to April 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yes” Mycroft handed him another file “We have the entire operation detected; mothers, babies, negotiators and kidnappers, and we have the producers. We’ll down a clan, but that is nothing compared to the many others there are around the world” Mycroft sighed “I should leave soon; you know how I detest foot work” He chuckled. He was followed by several security guards dressed as civilians, but before disappearing, he patted Sherlock’s shoulder “She’ll be safe, brother mine, I’ll make sure of it” He smiled and left

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The same advice as the previous chapter, it's not as graphic as it could be, but be adviced about violence against children

After Bell’s nightly routine, Sherlock helped John cook, and marvelled a very surprised Molly with his cooking skills. They decided to prepare Pelmeni, one of Sherlock’s specialities and apple Pirog, which John help make, though he had no idea his husband could cook Russian food “A few oddities I picked over the years” Sherlock kissed John’s neck and continued cooking “They’ll be here soon” Sherlock looked at the door, and in fact, a few knocks could be heard from the other side

“Brought Vodka” A raspy, deep and strong, very Russian male voice said from the entrance. A tall, tank of a man, that barely fit at the entrance came in and hugged Sherlock, lifting him from the floor and kissing him on both cheeks “dorogoy brat1” he hugged him again before putting him down to the floor “moy dorogoy drug2” Sherlock answered and smiled at the giant, patting his back and ushering him inside the flat

“Moya lyubov’3” A soft female voice greeted and hugged Sherlock close, kissing his as well in both cheeks “Lyubov’” Sherlock greeted her and kissed both her cheeks “Come in” He said and lead her to the living room. Molly and Tobias left for the night and John was setting the table, so Sherlock took upon himself to offer drinks “Vodka, Scotch, water?” he asked

“Just water, we need to tell you all about this case and alcohol might not help us, but we can christen the bottle after we solve it” Andrei suggested

“Okay. I’ll bring the water and we can talk about it” Sherlock went to the kitchen and came back with John

“Hi” John shook Andrei’s hand and kissed Nikka on both cheeks “I’m John, nice to meet you both, finally” He said and sat next to Sherlock, the hand with his wedding ring over Sherlock’s knee and his characteristic charming smile on his face

“Eh…” Nikka looked at them with wide eyes, her eyes traveling from one to the other in utter disbelief; she hadn’t noticed that Sherlock was wearing a matching ring until she saw Sherlock’s ring hand over John’s

“You okay?” Sherlock handed her the water and she downed it in one swig

“Hold on…” She said and stopped him with her hand “Moya lyubov’ got himself a husband?” She looked at him with sad and teary eyes

“And a daughter” He smiled and pulled his phone out of his front trousers’ pocket “Here” He handed her the phone so she could see the hundred and more photographs he had taken of Bell and John and the three of them together. Even a video from the time they were at the beach in Santorini and Bell was playing with their family

“I… I…” Sherlock kneeled in front of Nikka and held her close

“I know. And I thank you” Sherlock kissed her on the cheek “You knew from the beginning” Sherlock tried to smile “And unlike Daniel and Catalina, you’ve stayed calm and quiet” He patted her head and held her closer “You were there, but he was there before” Sherlock whispered in her ear, for her alone “I’m sorry I couldn’t love you back, we could have been really happy… but my heart belongs to him” Nikka nodded and tried to stop a sob from escaping her mouth but it was too late. Andrei patted her back softly and shook his head. Nikka was hopping that Sherlock would come back to be with her

John was feeling uncomfortable, but Sherlock had already told him that Nikka had basically proposed to Sherlock, and he also knew that he had a sweet spot for Nikka, their relationship was special, unlike the one he shared with the others; he didn’t have all the details and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know but he could feel something had happened between them. He tried to keep his cool but it was getting harder with every passing second. He allowed his husband a few more moments but he could feel anger bubbling low in the pit of his stomach

Sherlock sat next to John again and squeezed his knee “I’ll tell you later” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and all he got was a curt nod before John left to the kitchen. Sherlock just sighed and grabbed the files Andrei had brought with him

“Is this all?” He asked a still stunned Andrei

“Yes” Andrei nodded “We have more disappearances reported. At least thirty girls between new-borns and two years old” He pointed at the end of the file and it had a serial code “This is the tenth girls that has disappeared in the last four months”

“And what makes her so special? I mean, besides being Gavrilov’s granddaughter” Sherlock checked the documents again

“That unlike the prior kidnappings, this time the kidnappers haven’t contacted the parents” Nikka answered

“The other cases, when did the contact occur?”

“Within hours, two tops” Andrei showed Sherlock another set of files

“And the kids were returned?”

“No. The people delivered the money but the kids were never returned”

“Do we have any other information?”

“Not really, just that the kids ranged from new-borns to two year old toddler and all of them were girls” Nikka showed a few pictures of the missing girls to Sherlock

“I have to make a call” He said and left the living room, heading to their room “Excuse me” He closed the door behind him

“Brother” Mycroft greeted “I’m glad you’re feeling better” He said

“Much. Thanks Myc” Sherlock said as a greet “I need a favour”

“Ask away”

“Missing girls in drug exporting and importing countries, major ones, with their own cartels, preferably”

“Including England?”

“Yes. Include Italy and Greece, just in case. No Middle East, not just yet”

“Why not?”

“We need to finish with the buyers before we finish with the producers”

“What about Mexico and the States?”

“Send everything. United States, Mexico, Russia, England, Italy, Greece, France, I’ll talk to John and leave the countries we intervene out of the blog. I’ll just list the ones I’ve already visited… We’ll need increased security…” Sherlock sighed

“I’ll send all the information, and as for this moment, you already have two more for each of you. I’ll just need ten minutes”

“Sure Myc. Thanks”

Sherlock went back to the living room and saw John ushering their guests to the dining table “Dinner’s ready” John said without looking at him

They shared a rather quiet dinner, Sherlock reading the files Mycroft had sent him, John fuming, Andrei not knowing what to ask John and Nikka feeling happy that John was uncomfortable but sad that Sherlock would have problems later. It was in her hands to fix it or break it

“I’m in love with your husband” She said suddenly startling all the men at the table. Andrei scowled at her and Sherlock just kept on looking at his phone, trying to hide his face while John faced her “Ever since I first saw him, all ragged and pale. He looked beautiful and I told him so” She looked at Sherlock “But he made clear that he had someone back at home, that he was the most important person in his life and that his mission was to keep him safe, no matter what” She smiled sadly “He called your name, every night, that’s how I knew who you were as soon as you introduced yourself” She looked back at John

“I practically threw myself in his arms. He rejected me, of course, even though we had to pose as a couple during his time here in Russia and while he was in Croatia, The Netherlands and Bosnia. He wouldn’t even sleep in the same bed, until I convinced him that it was okay, that he was safe” She cleaned a stray tear from her cheek “Every day I fell more and more in love with him. I knew all about Daniel and Catalina, and all about you. I would read your blog for hours, over and over again, and I understood why he loved you. I even proposed to him, asked him to marry me for real. We’d become such good friends” Her voice broke

“He said to me that if it wasn’t for you, he might have chosen me. He said that I was a good friend, not his best, but close, and that if thing were any different, he might have considered it. Then he boarded a car and left to the Czech Republic and I felt as if I would never see him again” She tried not to cry but the tears were flowing freely from her eyes “When Number Four said he had disappeared in Serbia, my heart clenched in my chest and I couldn’t believe it. As soon as Number Four said he was alive…” her hands were shaking and she tried to control them by grabbing her fork, but it was impossible “I love him, so much… But his heart is yours, it always was and it will always be…” She swallowed a sob “He’s happy and that’s enough for me. I’m so glad you found each other…” She looked down and John had to do his best not to run to her side and hold her

The moment was broken by Andrei’s phone “They have? Be right there” He finished the call and stood from the table “Sorry to leave like this” He apologised “But they have contacted the parents” He pulled Nikka from the table and patted her back “Let’s go malen’kiy4”

“Wait” John called after them “We need to call for a nanny” John pulled his phone to call Tim while Sherlock called Molly.

“They’ll be here in five” Sherlock looked at John with hope in his eyes, and John nodded. The argument was settled for the moment, but he knew they’ll have to talk sooner rather than later. He was about to talk when the door opened and Molly, Tim and a few of Mycroft’s men were there 

“Let’s go” John held Sherlock’s hand and they left the flat. They followed Andrei and Nikka to the police station and were rapidly briefed with every detail about the case. The parents were supposed to meet the kidnapper at Friendship Park. They had asked for a million euros, meaning that they knew exactly who the baby’s parents were. Sherlock devised a plan and followed the father to the park, and as soon as the exchange was made, he gave chase to the perpetrator following him to the sewers. John followed, of course he followed, and helped his madman get into the sewers and chase the man and the money.

They paid a few homeless and gathered enough information about the man they’d been chasing. The leads had them waiting outside a made up cellar where Sherlock identified the voice of the kidnapper and two other men. Andrei was with them and a few other undercover police officers had followed them. Sherlock ordered silence to better hear them and translated everything he heard to John

“They are counting the money” Sherlock said “They don’t know it’s marked. They’re supposed to have children in there but I don’t hear a single one” Sherlock pressed his face against the made up door “They…” Sherlock looked at John “They say they need another girl, another toddler to complete the batch” Sherlock stopped John’s question with his hand over his mouth “They already have a new victim” Sherlock paled “Bell…”      

John swallowed a gasp that was strategically muffled by Sherlock’s mouth. As soon as Sherlock heard the men leaving, he portrayed the perfect homeless, his face covered with grime, his unusual jumper torn, shoeless and haggard looking. John couldn’t believe how fast he changed. Hidden behind all the grime, Sherlock was able to follow the men and ended up at a house near Kurskaya Station; the kidnappers head quarters

He identified one of the men as part of Blanicoff’s former network, after that, all the pieces fitted in place, including the reason why he had Gavrilov’s granddaughter kidnaped and had planned to kidnap his daughter. He managed to infiltrate the house, posing as one of the cleaning staff, a heavy Russian accent, a moustache and an auburn beard. He found boxes filled with baby clothes, but no babies, maternal clothes, but no mothers, and of course, a huge stash of drugs. What left him speechless was the discovery of several pictures on how to perform autopsies on infants

‘Why do they have these here? Why? I’m missing something, but what? Are they killing the children, if they are; why are they asking for money then? I’m missing something… I’m missing something… Ooooh… OH! No, that can’t be, no way, no… no… They are, they are killing the babies, they are using them as… oh God! I have to stop them… They can’t keep on doing this… Mycroft sent information… Russia is supposed to be the centre of operations, but I’m sure this goes deeper… London, yes twelve missing toddlers… Paris… Fourteen, Greece… thirty five… oh God… of course… toddler, sleeping toddler, no one would care, and the dogs? Well, dogs and babies, babies and dogs…’ Sherlock kept on thinking until he heard one of the men coming his way. He grunted an excuse and left, snatching a list of countries, times and flights within the papers at the dustbin

As soon as he left the building he called John. He was at home with Bell, ten security agents, Molly, Tobias, and Mycroft “They are using the babies as carriers” Sherlock said to the phone and heard John’s breath hitch “I’ll be there in ten…” He finished the call and before he went back to the flat he changed disguises again, he was a blonde tourist, hidden behind enormous sunglasses and a tight shirt… He arrived home and instead of the expected reprimand, John showed love and concern for his tired looking husband

“They are using them as carriers John” Sherlock held Bell close to his chest and kissed her repeatedly on her head “And now they want to take her away” He was desperate, and looked at his brother “They have a network in all these countries” He handed the list he had snatched and gave it to a very concerned Mycroft

“What’s the plan?” John asked, trying to soothe his distressed husband rubbing comforting circles in his back

“We’ll have to perform a coup; a huge one, at the same time in every country, so they won’t have time to retreat or regroup. We need people at the States, Mexico, Paris, Berlin, London… we need men at every airport, pretending that a baby boy is missing and checking every baby possible, until we locate Gavrilov’s granddaughter...” His hands were shaking while he held his daughter closer this time

“We have a baby prepared to replace Bell” Mycroft handed them a file “You’re to go to the ballet tomorrow night, as if nothing has happened, and your day will start late the next morning, Tim will have to take the baby to the park for her stroll… alone… They’ll discover soon enough that the baby is dead but that will give us enough time to follow them and make the necessary arrests” John and Sherlock nodded, they’ll have to do as told

“Have you located any others?” John asked

“Yes” Mycroft handed him another file “We have the entire operation detected; mothers, babies, negotiators and kidnappers, and we have the producers. We’ll down a clan, but that is nothing compared to the many others there are around the world” Mycroft sighed “I should leave soon; you know how I detest foot work” He chuckled. He was followed by several security guards dressed as civilians, but before disappearing, he patted Sherlock’s shoulder “She’ll be safe, brother mine, I’ll make sure of it” He smiled and left

As planned, they went to the park first thing in the morning, before the museums opened. They went to the Cosmonautic museum; Sherlock, always eager to please his husband showed him around and watched as John changed his demeanour, slowly but surely, towards him. They went to the State Diamond Fund and a bit of home, the Old English Court. They also visited, right in the nick of time, The Palace of the Romanov Boyars, and bought tickets for other museums

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, yet” John walked pass by him and went directly to the kitchen to make dinner

“Care to explain why?” Sherlock pulled him close and sat him on his knees

“You never told me about her” John buried his face in Sherlock’s neck, to hide his blush

“I told you about her while in Greece”

“Nope…” John sighed “You just mentioned her…”

“Are you jealous of a woman that threw herself at me, much like Irene did?”

“Yes”

“Why?”

“Because you considered staying with her…” John whispered

“Truth be told…” Sherlock pushed John softly and tilted his head up “I told her that to stop her from crying… Whenever she started crying she wouldn’t stop until I soothed her… So the easy way to avoid it is to act as if I care…” John knew Sherlock was telling the truth “I had to lie… the same way I lied to Janine…” Sherlock looked at John “You wanted to comfort her too… She has something…” He frowned and looked pensive

“Yeah… she does” John chuckled… “And you, mister” he kissed Sherlock ear “Are so mean…” John shook his head and kissed Sherlock soundly “I can’t stay mad at you for too long…”

“And I’m glad…” Sherlock peppered John’s face with kisses and his back with caresses “Because I miss you too much…”

“And I miss you…” John rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder “It takes to much energy being pissed at you” He chuckled “Especially when you’re the sweet git I love” he kissed Sherlock’s neck “Dinner’s ready”

“Not that hungry…”

“I know, me either, but you do have to eat, love” Sherlock growled but ate anyway before going to bed and trying to sleep

The next day, they did the exact same thing, pretend nothing was happening, but they were nervous wrecks. John jumped at every little thing and Sherlock was in full Detective mode on; he even dusted his Belstaff, not wanting to blend in with the rest of the crowd; they didn’t hold hands or share romantic looks, too worried to even stay still. Sherlock noticed the men that were following them and contacted his own birds

“It’s done” Mycroft said to Sherlock after he answered his mobile

“ETA?” (Estimated time of action, not arrival)

“Tomorrow at eight hundred hours, Moscow time”

“Early…”

“Yes… American time eight hours less”

“Late then…”

“There’s no other way; that gives us time to plan for any contingencies, such as some of them escaping or… besides… they’ll be sleeping…”

“Right. Thank you Myc…Good luck”

“Be safe...”

“You too”

 Sherlock sat next to John and tried to enjoy Romeo and Juliet, he had promised Molly to enjoy their time together but they were too worried. John and Sherlock checked their clock every five minutes, knowing that nothing could be done but wait. The moment they arrived to the flat, they made sure that all their tails were there, practically at arm’s reach.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“No… You?”

“No… I don’t think I can be calm knowing that I’ll be seating here… pretending”

“We should go to bed and try to sleep…” John suggested but he knew it wouldn’t be possible to stay relaxed; many things could go wrong.

Everything was prepared. Bell stayed home with her parents and a contingent of police officers and security officials while Tim strolled away with a dead baby. He had just arrived to the park when a lady distracted him asking for an address and information and two men blocked his visual of the stroller. The lady kept him distracted until one of the guys was out of sight with the stroller.

That was their cue to move; they left the flat and followed the man with the stroller to the house in Kurskaya. It took them less than five seconds to realise the baby was a fake and the whole operation was about to be called off when one of the many infiltrates gave the signal and several contingents of men entered the different locations, arresting all the members of the organization and recovering several babies, drugs and money. Sherlock intervened and captured Belicoff’s men, John was by his side. They recovered Gavrilov’s granddaughter and Sherlock had to deliver the baby to her parents.

It was a heart-breaking scene. Gavrilov’s daughter remembered him and the way he had helped her know who was behind her father’s death, even though he was pretending to be working with the guy. Sherlock explained to her everything and after two well deserved slaps she hugged him. In order to avoid the press and any more dangers they left before the conference and let Nikka and Andrei take care of it.         

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Dear brother  
> 2 My dear friend  
> 3 Love, darling  
> 4 Little lady


	62. After the storm. April 29th to May 13th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tour around Russia, hope you enjoy it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one… to laugh and relax after the long ones I’ve been throwing your way… sorry about that!!! I'll try to post sooner, but I've been realy busy and unable to write

“I’m glad you didn’t follow all of them” John was resting next to Sherlock in bed, holding hands, fingers entwined, his head nestled in Sherlock’s shoulder

“I didn’t want to put you in danger” Sherlock kissed John’s fingers

“Thank you for that” John rolled and put his arm over Sherlock’s chest and kissed his shoulder, without letting his hand go

“I need you… I can’t do anything without you…” Sherlock sighed and rested his head on top of John’s, using his free hand to rub the crease on John’s forehead “And I promised I’ll be safe for you…” he kissed the top of John’s head “For us…”

“I love you…” John whispered “Please, try to sleep, we have a big day tomorrow” He turned Sherlock and played big spoon

“I can try…” Sherlock sighed and snuggled closer to John’s chest. John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and the Detective was soon asleep

They still had a week to spend in Moscow and Sherlock wanted to make it the best. He had solved a terrible case and needed to be far from the madding crowd. He bought tickets for the Trans-Siberian and surprised John

“We’re going on the Trans-Siberian!” Sherlock said excitedly until he saw John’s face, John tried to smile but his disgust was evident “Not good?” Sherlock looked at the tickets worriedly

“The Trans-Siberian?” John tried to keep his face straight, but his scowl was evident “You mean the Trans-Siberian?” he mocked a smile but it was too late

“I thought you might like the idea” Sherlock was looking down and tossed the tickets on the table, leaving a very embarrassed John alone in the kitchen

“Is this the Express?” John followed his husband to the bedroom; Sherlock simply shrugged “You booked the tickets at the Golden Eagle?” Sherlock nodded but still refused to look at John “But how?” John was astounded “They don’t leave until July!” He looked at the tickets again and their train was leaving that night

“I booked the whole train…” Sherlock shrugged his shoulders again and sat on the bed, completely dejected “I wanted to surprise you…” He fell gracelessly on the mattress and curled up on himself

“Sherlock…” John felt miserable “I’m sorry my love” He went to the bed and patted his buttock “I didn’t know…” He leaned closer to his favourite toddler and kissed his arm “We leave tonight, so I guess we should pack everything…” He stood and started packing “Where is Bell going to sleep?” He asked as he folded his jumpers that now smelled like Sherlock

“Don’t, John… please” Sherlock said, his voice broken and hurt

“I’m sorry…” John stopped packing and went over to Sherlock’s side “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, really, very, absolutely, impossibly, incredibly sorry…” he kissed Sherlock’s arm repeatedly until the Detective looked at him “Please, forgive me, please?” He batted his eye lashes and made Sherlock smile “Please, my sweet love, forgive my stupidity?” He grabbed Sherlock’s hand and kissed it “How long is it going to take? Who else is coming? Where is Bell going to sleep? Is it going to be cold?” He fired as many questions as possible

“We have time” Sherlock sat on the bed and hugged John “I wanted to leave Moscow… I’m tired… I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first” He nuzzled John’s neck “Are you sure you want to come?” John nodded and left the bed to continue packing. Sherlock couldn’t help but smile, his husband was wonderful and he loved him, though sometimes they could both kill each other

“Where is Bell going to sleep?” He asked again, for the third time

“With us, I booked the Imperial suite for us, and instead of a seat we’re going to have a really small cot for Bell” Sherlock was helping John with the packing “We’ll be needing just a few things, don’t pack everything… Someone from Mycroft’s detail will come and pack the rest for us and will take it, along with the car, to Saint Petersburg” Sherlock pushed a few shirts and trousers into a carry on”

“Who else is coming?”

“Mummy and Father, Molly and Tobias, Greg and Mycroft, Mamie, Hudders, I also invited Mike and his wife, James…” Sherlock paused for too long and John looked at him questioningly

“And?” 

“Harry… and….” Sherlock took a deep breath “Clara…” He avoided John’s eyes

“You did what?” John blinked several times, unbelieving of what he was hearing

“I can call it off… but according to Mycroft she’s sober and back with Clara” Sherlock put his hands up to placate his husband

John inhaled sharply and exhaled loudly, Sherlock could call it off, but he hadn’t seen his sister since the wedding and she hadn’t met her niece, so… “Fine… But if she…”

“I know John…” Sherlock hugged him “Mycroft’s security detail has been thoroughly informed and will remain on duty twenty four seven”

“There’s only one Imperial suite” John looked at the brochure

“Yes, and Mycroft has agreed to stay in a Gold cabin…” Sherlock kissed John’s ear and made him drop his jeans

“And your parents?” He pulled Sherlock close and started opening his shirt

“Gold cabin, and Molly and Tobias too” Sherlock opened John’s trousers

“Mm…. and… uh…” He was busy marking Sherlock’s chest

“The others, if they come, will be staying at the Silver cabins” Sherlock worked John’s pants down

“Where’s Bell?” John managed before Sherlock kneeled in front of him

“With Molly and Tobias, Tim is with them, and they have a full contingent” Sherlock licked his lips and made John shudder

“Then I have time for a full British” he smirked and pulled Sherlock up and pushed him to the bed

After four hours, Molly and Tobias arrived, ready to leave with their friends. Mycroft had texted his brother confirming their arrival in the next four hours, meaning thirty minutes before they noticed Molly was greeting everybody at their door

“And we still have to pack” John panted out

“But first we need to get up” Sherlock patted John’s calf and tickled his ear with his toes

“Sherlock…” John trapped Sherlock’s toes in one hand and tickled him with the other

“We’ll have to “contain ourselves” during the train ride” Sherlock kissed John’s foot “His majesty might get offended” He scowled

“Don’t say that” John chastised him and tried to leave the bed, only to find himself trapped under six feet of a not so lanky detective “Babe… please” John tried to talk but Sherlock’s lips were on his and the Detective was rutting against him… again…

“I let you leave this bed if you promise me something” Sherlock stopped and looked down at John. John nodded, he had no other choice “I love Mycroft, but I love teasing him more… Help me?” John smiled and nodded again before kissing his madman and pushing him softly away before escaping the bed and hiding in the shower “Not fair” Sherlock pouted and followed him, just in time, because Violet was at their door, asking them to come and receive their guests.

They left the flat and John was marvelled by the sight that received him, the train even more magnificent than he had expected. They were show to their suite and Violet immediately decided that they were taking care of Bell “After all, my boy is still on his honeymoon” She patted Sherlock’s cheek and took Bell from John’s arms “Come beautiful, let’s leave your daddies to their business” She coddled the baby

Over the next twelve days, they only left their suite to visit the programmed towns, and to share dinner with their guests, exchanging impressions of the towns visited and share a few moments with family and friends, also to spend some time with their daughter, who had been kidnapped by her grandparents.

At Kazan, while Violet took all the hens to a shopping tour, Mycroft left the love birds on their own and went with all the “stags” to visit the town, Sherlock took John to the Hermitage and to the Anatomical Museum.

At Yekaterinburg, John took Sherlock to the railway museum and the Geological museum, leaving, once again, their families to enjoy whatever they wanted to do, though this time, Sherlock succeeded on getting enough Bell time.

At Novosibirsk, Abakan and Irkutsk they shared time with their family. John had the chance to spend time with Bell, Harry and Clara, while Sherlock spend time with his brother and his parents. Since Mycroft was to be married soon, Sherlock decided he could help, at least by being there so Mycroft wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed by mummy’s plans

Once at the Lake Baikal, Harry’s and John’s relationship was somewhat restored, she apologised profusely for the phone call a few months ago, and congratulated John for “landing such a stud, my dear tyke!” followed by a couple winks, a nudge and her always “subtle” insinuations, making John blush hard and Sherlock laugh out loud at his expense. The four of them dinned at the hotel they had reserved for them and Sherlock resolved his issues with Harry by asking her to stop her attempts to “fuck with John’s life, unless you want me to fuck yours” he said it as gallantly as he could, leaving a very stunned Harry to “ponder about what has been said”

The tour returned to normal and two of the couples, Mycroft, Greg, John and Sherlock, decided to skip the daily tour to Ulan Ude and Nerchinsk and Sretensk, using their time to talk about recent events, meaning what had recently happened at Moscow with the babies and the network they had taken down, and how it affected their security. At Mycroft’s suggestion, even though Sherlock scowled, kicked about, acted up, made a fuss, you name it… John accepted the offer to use the plane for the rest of the trip; sure, they’ll be missing many opportunities to get to know they places they were to visit, but using the plane proved to be safer that driving around.

A compromise was made, if the trip took more than eight hours for drive, they’ll use the plane, if it took less, they’ll drive but will have more security, meaning that from now on they’ll each have four birds instead of two… Sherlock had to agree, he promised John he’ll keep them safe…

Their on-board day was spent playing with Bell, chasing her around the lounge car, playing chess, cards, cluedo (big mistake…) and blow some steam. Mycroft yelled at Harry for being so selfish, and Greg yelled at Tobias for meddling; Molly had a heartfelt cry with Clara and Mike decided to hide away with James to talk about something other than the “freaking Russians”; Mike’s wife feigned a headache, Violet and Siger decided to coddle their granddaughter and call and early night, while Mamie and Hudders were drunk as grapes. John and Sherlock escaped as soon as possible and shared a quickie in one of the restrooms.

By the time they reached Blagoveshchensk, they had fought, made up, fought again, making the visit to the little town one of the best of the trip. Harry clung to Greg while Clara and Mycroft shared a nice talk; Molly and Tobias had “disappeared” the night before and Violet and Siger took their granddaughter to visit the town, spoiling her rotten. Mamie and Hudders stayed at the train nursing their hangover… James shared a few hours with John, talking about everything, while Sherlock looked at them at a distance, trying to guess what was what they were talking about

Their final stop, Vladivostok, was a sad one… They all went to the same hotel and shared one last dinner, Mycroft made sure the plane was waiting for them in the early hours of the morning, Sherlock made sure that their daughter was staying with them… and that his mother was leaving… John promised Harry he would call her every other day and Sherlock promised his Mummy to send every picture he had of Bell. Mycroft checked their security detail and promised his brother to keep them posted on the “Hamish” issue as soon as it hatched… Sherlock hugged his brother and they both walked away awkwardly, because their Mummy saw it… Now Mummy is no longer upset…


	63. Saint Petersburg- May 14th to May 17th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update the next sixty or so chapters before the year ends, and I'll be writting as soon as this ear infection clears and I', allowed to read more than an hour. Thanks for reading. LOVEYALL!!

They arrived to Saint Petersburg ten hours later, exhausted, with a moody baby, and a family that wanted to stay with them for another day. Mycroft… Thank God for him (Not that Sherlock would ever say that to Mycroft’s face) Proposed to stay at a hotel and leave the disgruntled baby with her parents; maybe they could meet for “brunch or something”                      

The second they entered the flat John dropped their bags wherever and carried their daughter to the nearest bathroom. A nice lavender scented bath would help her sleep and relax

“She’s finally out” Sherlock fell gracelessly next to a very sleepy John

“Good” John mumbled and pulled Sherlock to his chest, kissed his cheek and was asleep before Sherlock could even respond. Sherlock just huffed but snuggled closer and fell asleep in seconds

Early the next morning a very needy Bell called for both her parents, startling them up

“She’s up early…” John rubbed Sherlock’s back

“I know…” Sherlock grumbled and burrowed closer

“I’ll go get her and bring her here” John tried to leave the bed but Sherlock pulled him close and snogged him senseless

“Now you can go” The detective laughed and opened his arms to allow John to leave the bed. In seconds, John was back in bed with his husband and his daughter, listening to mind numbing cartoons, This strategy successfully distracted Bell and gave them another half hour to catch some sleep before the baby asked for her breakfast and her bathroom; this time, Sherlock took her to the loo while John made them breakfast

“What are our plans for today?”

“I think we should go to the Hermitage” Sherlock looked pensive for a moment, remembering every little detail he could about Saint Petersburg

“Are we going to the other places?” John was concerned, he didn’t want another episode

“No… You already know what happened here, and only if you want I can take you to those places, but I’d rather not…”

“I don’t want to visit them either…” John cupped Sherlock’s cheek and leaned over the table to kiss him

“I was thinking that after the Hermitage, we can go to the dream museum and after that to the planetarium” John nodded and fed Bell another mouthful of egg “Then we can have a day in; teach Bell to stay home and find ways to distract her… Because once we’re back in London our lives are going back to normal and she won’t be able to leave the flat every day, unless Hudders, my mum or Harry want to take her out”

“I like the idea” John smiled at him, scrunching his face and making Bell laugh and open wide for another mouthful “At what time does the Hermitage open?”

“At ten thirty, so we can go to the park first, then the Hermitage, have lunch somewhere, go to the dream museum and visit the planetarium for the six o’clock function”

“Yeah…” John nodded “I really don’t feel like cooking today” He sagged a little

“Want me to cook?” Sherlock offered

“Nope… I want to cuddle with you, in front of the telly and eat some Chinese or something that comes in a box and we don’t have to wash any dishes”

“Love the idea… and tomorrow we can go to the park for a little while, have a picnic… come back…” Sherlock bit his lip, tilted his head to the side and looked at John with dopey eyes

“I read there’s and Oceanarium. We could go in the afternoon” John tilted his head the other side and looked at Sherlock, playing their little game

“Yeah, and we’ll be back early, have some more takeout and stay the night…” He wriggled his eyebrows

“And we can sleep…” John teased

“Or find one of those movies you so enjoy and let sleep come when it comes…” Sherlock licked his lips

 “We can go to the Faberge museum too, have a quick lunch and then go on a sightseeing tour like we did in Zurich”

“Nice plan…” John kept on flirting but they were interrupted by Bell “So… to the park…” Sherlock nodded and picked Bell. He dressed her and was ready to leave in less than twenty minutes, unlike other times; they had to take turns to take a shower while keeping an eye on their daughter.

Once at the park, Bell played, ran, hid behind monuments and statues and laughed with her parents. Sherlock, instead of boring them with the dream museum, decided to go to the zoo first and treat his daughter with tigers and owls, and with her new found love, polar bears. He changed their tickets for the Hermitage for the next day and found a little Italian close to the botanical garden. Their visit to the garden was interesting, Bell loved flowers, and so did her Daddy Sher. She got excited with the bees and the butterflies, not to mention her eyes went as wide as saucers the moment she saw her parents blue orchid.

They left the botanical garden and before John knew it, they were at the Oceanarium where Sherlock allowed Bell to run almost free, pointing at the “fishy here”, and the “fishy there” before returning to daddy’s arms, either one, and showing them her new findings.

Their last visit was the planetarium and Bell was too excited to even think about tiredness or sleepiness. She listened to Daddy Sher as he explained to her everything she was seeing, and John leaned in close to listen to his husband translate everything for their daughter. Before going back to the flat, Sherlock picked some Chinese, fed Bell, bathed her and put her to bed, before cuddling with John at their bed while watching one of the many Bond movies he had brought from London.

After they ate John was feeling frisky and wanted to “play” with his husband before sleeping, and Sherlock was too willing to oblige. Their sounds were muffled by the music in Bell’s room and the shots from one of the many Bonds

“I love you” Sherlock repeated like a mantra while John moved in him

“I love you” John repeated with every thrust, his fingers entwined with Sherlock’s, over his head, kisses going back and forth, eyes open and loving gazes

The next morning they stayed at the flat until the Faberge Museum opened; Sherlock then took John there and, as previously planned, they shared a nice picnic at the park, Bell slept on her Daddy John’s chest while Daddy Sher played with his hair and talked about nothing

“Want to go to The Hermitage?” Sherlock asked a sleepy John

“Mm… Yup, five more minutes though”

“Sure?”

“Yeah… It’s just that I’m really comfortable right now” John rubbed his face against Sherlock’s hand while he played with his fingers over Bell’s back

“We have to take the basket home …”

“Can we just hand it to one of Mycroft’s men? John had his eyes closed, his nose close to Sherlock’s stomach, and every time he spoke he tickled Sherlock, making him squirm, but he didn’t move, he loved the feeling

“We could…” Sherlock played with John’s hair again “Are you sure you want to go?

“Not really, but I do want to visit the museum”

“We can go to the Hermitage tomorrow before we leave…” Sherlock proposed and John accepted with a nod “But I want to take you some other place you might enjoy”

“Where?”

“You’ll see” Sherlock picked the baby from John’s chest, holding her in his large arms, under his coat; he also picked the picnic basket and, somehow, John’s hand and pulled him close. They walked back to the black sedan that was waiting for them, Sherlock gave an address and the driver took them to a large brick building

“Where’re we Sherlock?” John was confused but curious, as always

“Go in” Sherlock gave him a little push and waited for John to come back

John came back outside less than five minutes later once he identified where they were “It’s…” Sherlock nodded to a smiling John that looked like a child in a candy shop, eyes wide and broad smile

“I know how much you love your profession” Sherlock kissed John’s ear and hugged him close

“How did you know?”

“Because I know you, my love” He kissed John again, this time on the lips, softly and tenderly

“Thank you!” John let that melting smile reach his eyes and hugged his husband feeling happier than he already felt

“Shall we go in?” Sherlock pushed him slightly towards the entrance of the Military Medical Museum.

John was lost, he went in and let his feet take him wherever, always a firm grasp on Sherlock’s hand and the other over Sherlock’s waist, while he allowed his husband to carry and distract their daughter. Sherlock let John be, he loved his face while he watched the medical instruments, and the pictures in the walls; He pointed excitedly, just like Bell had done the day before, to every instrument he found interesting and explained to Sherlock how it worked

Sherlock simply followed, mesmerized by the sight he had in front of him, it was as if John were dancing, a music of his own, right in front of Sherlock, that child-like enthusiasm making Sherlock fall deeper in love with the man that was his day and night, his dream and his life. Whenever John pointed at something silly and taught Sherlock the name in English, a name he already knew; he would simply smile at him and shook his head slightly, pretending not to know.  

Whenever John pointed to a disease or a complicated instrument and showed Sherlock how it should be diagnosed or used, he would smile again, and nod, in understanding, following the rapid-fire from John’s mouth. Every now and then, John would kiss him, kiss his hand, kiss his fingers, pull him close or simply caress him in some way, never letting go of his hand; and Sherlock understood it was a silent thank you. He lost himself for a moment, watching John waltz around in front of a display, thinking about the many ways John would thank him tonight.

He was startled out of his reverie by a kiss from an ogling John that was giving him “the look”. He allowed John to call Tim and take the baby and he was quickly pushed to a restroom. John made sure no one was watching and before Sherlock knew, his chest was against a cold wall, his legs spread apart and John was behind him, panting a litany of curses that made him shiver. It was quick, satisfactory and very silent, mostly because Sherlock was biting John’s jumper and John was leaving his teeth imprint over Sherlock’s shoulder.

They left the restroom, John first, and he went to look for their daughter; he was shortly followed by a flushed Sherlock that reached for John’s hand and walked with him to the exit.

“I have another surprise for you” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear once they walked outside the museum building

“You do?” John gave him a lopsided, satisfied smile

“Yes” Sherlock winked “But first we are going to tire this young lady at the doll museum, and after that home, we have to shower and get changed” Sherlock smirked

“A date… I like it” John licked his lips

Sherlock climbed in the sedan, followed by John and shortly after they were at the doll museum; much like John, Bell pointed at everything, her little eyes blown out by the sights; she wanted to touch everything but she knew better and showed daddy John the tallest doll and then Daddy Sher the shortest, she watched as some of the dolls moved and she asked Daddy Sher why “Because these are called puppets, baby love” Sherlock explained “See those threads? They help the puppet move, one arm here, he acted as if he was tied to a thread and put a hand over his head “another here” and he pulled his foot up and moved like a puppet making little Bell laugh hard. After all the excitement, they had to buy her two puppets, one of a lanky, tall man with a coat, and another of a shorter, yet strong man with a jumper.

They arrived to the flat and Sherlock decided it was best to give Bell her bath before they had to leave; he called Tim and he was there in less than five minutes, they said goodbye to a pouting Bell and Sherlock took John to the next surprise. They kissed and teased each other the whole way to the Mariinsky Theatre and John was once again left dumfounded by the size and sight he had before him

“Faust” Sherlock answered the unquestioned question and John followed his tails-clad husband inside. Sherlock had bought tickets at the Tsar Box, right in front so John could see the entire stage from there. They were treated with some champagne and handed their programmes. When John looked at his programme his smile grew wider than it already was and his eyes filled with happy tears. The presentation of the night was dedicated to him by the one and only Sherlock Holmes “Because a year ago he told me he would love to see Faust”

John remembered the night. They had a case that had taken them to the theatre and some classical play was playing at the moment, nor he, nor Sherlock, cared about the play, just about the one of the understudies that had disappeared a few hour ago while he was trying a devil costume “It somehow reminds me of Faust John commented and Sherlock stared at him with surprise in his eyes “The costume, I mean” John laughed “It looks a lot like the one Mephistopheles had in Faust. I’d love to see it again” He sighed and let the comment slide and be, apparently, forgotten

Sherlock had, once again, given him what he had asked for. He kissed his husband, emotion pouring in every kiss and settled next to him, his head on Sherlock’s shoulder, hands clasped together and the programme safe in his front pocket. They enjoyed the presentation and before the last act started, a man approached Sherlock and he went with him, leaving a confused John sitting alone.  

The last act began, and he recognized Sherlock playing the violin, the fast notes being played by expert finger, he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the music, knowing perfectly how his beloved Sherlock played, he didn’t even look at the play anymore, he just concentrated on the violin sounds he could hear from time to time. The pleasure was soon over because John had to open his eyes to see that the show had ended and that the orchestra was thanking the director, and to John’s surprise it was no other than Sherlock, holding his violin and bowing to the orchestra and the public.

The director thanked him and congratulated him before letting him go. Two kisses, a hug and Sherlock was on his way to John’s open arms at the Tsar Box

“You were amazing” John kissed him

“All because of you” Sherlock kissed him back

In the ride back home, John had the chance to look at his programme more closely; the show was not only dedicated to him, but it was there, at the very end of the page, Sherlock’s name and the words “especial performance for one night only” next to it.

They barely made it to the flat and John was already undressing his elegant husband, shaking fingers fumbling with buttons and zippers, shaky hands shrugging jackets and trousers off. They made it to the closest sofa, just barely, and soon Sherlock was once again crying John’s name like a prayer.

The next morning, the little calls from Bell’s bedroom woke them, John opened his eyes to find himself under six feet of not so lanky Detective, both stark naked, and the evidence of their passion for one another over the once white crisp shirts

“Morning” Sherlock grumbled and burrowed closer to John’s chest, leaving a trail of kisses that made John’s skin bristle

“Morning” He greeted back, carding his fingers on Sherlock’s raven curls and kissing the top of his head

“Little lady’s up” Sherlock mumbled getting more comfortable in John’s arms

“I know…” John sighed and hugged him closer

“We need our dressing gowns” He lifted his head and dropped a kiss on John’s cheek

“I want the blue” John kissed the tip of his nose

“Breakfast?” Sherlock suggested and John nodded. Sherlock went to the room carrying the soiled clothes and returned with the blue dressing gown for John, he gave him a quick kiss and went to get Bell, in the meantime John had turned the kettle on and was peeling a banana and an apple for Bell and getting the Darjeeling for him and Sherlock.

Sherlock sat Bell on her chair and helped John with the toasts and gathered the butter and jam from the fridge

“Do we have plans for today?” John asked

“The Hermitage… finally” Sherlock said

“At what time should we be there?”

“At ten thirty”

“How long would it take?”

“It depends on how many exhibits we visit, but maybe the entire day won’t be enough to visit it” Sherlock shrugged

“At what time do we leave?”

“That’s another thing” Sherlock looked at John “I was going to propose something”

“Yes?”

“I was planning on using the plane a few more times” Sherlock played with his fruit “To go to Helsinki for a couple of days and then to Oslo, for another couple of days, before returning to Tallinn and from there, after a couple of days, depart to Riga”

“I like that plan, after all, we spent a lot of time in Russia, not as much as we planned before, but we’ve been here long enough” John forked a piece of banana and pushed it inside Sherlock’s mouth “How long would it take to go from here to Helsinki?”

“By car, five hours; by plane one”

“So… If we leave by six, we could be there by seven thirty at the latest, just in time to put Bell to bed…” Sherlock nodded

“Then to the Hermitage, my love” John cupped Sherlock cheek and leaned in to kiss him “Let’s pack first, call the guys about the car and have them drive it to wherever you want” John patted Sherlock’s cheek and grabbed the final piece of toast before disappearing to their room and leaving Sherlock with the dishes. Sherlock washed them, without fussing about it. They left Bell at the living room playing and went to take a shower.

The Hermitage was as huge as John predicted, the many buildings competing with one another in size and nobility

“We’ll visit the winter palace” Sherlock tugged John’s hand towards the main entrance “And if we have time we can go to the Great Hermitage”

They started at the Room of the art of Armenia, and by noon, they had reached the Room of British Art. They went to the inner garden and with a especial permission (Sherlock’s sweet talk actually) they fed Bell and ate a quick cold lunch before continuing with their tour. By three, they had reached the Old Hermitage and were visiting the Leonardo Da Vinci Room. They managed to visit the highlights of the complex by five in the afternoon, and soon were headed to the airport to catch their flight to Helsinki, as previously planned   


	64. Helsinki. May 18th to May 21st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helsinki time, and the Glo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if I bore you with filler chapter. I promise I'll give you cases and chases. Thanks for reading LYA!!!

They arrived to the Glo Hotel and the manager was waiting for them. “Your room is ready. It has a bathtub and a crib as you requested, and the table is set with the food you ordered, sir” The man led them to the lift and handed them the keys to a suite “The kettle and tea had been set, and the oils you ordered arrived this afternoon” He handed Sherlock a package before pushing the button to the last floor “your bags will arrive shortly Mister Holmes” The man bowed and left the couple with another bellboy that will lead them to the room.

“Okay beautiful” John put Bell on the floor and looked at the table “Let’s see what Daddy has ordered for us” John lifted the cover of the service tray to find Chinese under it. He smiled to himself and looked over at Sherlock that was preparing tea for them.

“You think Bell could have some tea already?” Sherlock asked, pouring a bit on a sippee cup.

John nodded but Sherlock did see him. He cleared his throat; he felt his chest tighten with the sudden emotion. He was getting used to feel in love every day, but a few times a day, he felt so much love or so much happiness that his eyes watered, his throat closed and his heart would beat faster in his chest. Even after two years, he still found Sherlock’s tenderness mesmerizing. Sherlock looked at him and smiled softly, shaking the sippee cup, showing it to John, and John was barely able to nod

“You okay?” Sherlock stepped closer and cupped John’s cheek with his free hand, John nodded again “Sure?” Sherlock was getting concerned, but he remember the way John looked at him the day they got married, as if he couldn’t believe Sherlock had just said yes. He pulled John in for a hug and stroked his back softly and slowly “I love you, John” Sherlock whispered in his ear and John hugged him close

“Make love to me” John asked and Sherlock hugged him tightly nodding before kissing him

“After we put our Bell to bed” Sherlock rubbed John’s cheek with his thumb and kissed him tenderly. John parted from the hug reluctantly and went to pick his daughter to help her sit at her chair

“Come here, beautiful” He helped her sit “Daddy got us noodles” he smiled at the little girl “What story you want tonight?” He started talking to Bell “The Raven?” Bell’s eyes lit up “I know… Let’s start a new one tonight” John looked at the girl frown and chuckled at her little scowling face “You’ll like it, beautiful. I promise” He kissed her little head “Now eat, baby girl” He pushed a few noodles in Bell’s mouth and the girl ate happily.

They bathed her; like they did every night and soon they were tucking her in bed, John sat next to her and started reading Treasure Island

“To the hesitant purchaser…” He started, but soon stopped because Sherlock was leaning against the door, reciting the words by memory alone

“If sailor tales to sailor tunes” He closed his eyes and lowered his voice slightly, adding a bit of a pirate’s tone to it “Storm ’n adventure, heat ‘n cold” He made Bell and John laugh “If schooners, islands, ‘n maroons” John decided to follow his example and they recited it together in their best pirate voices

“’n buccaneers, ‘n buried gold, ’n all the ol’ romance, retold. Exactly in the ancient way, can please, as me they pleased of ol’, the wiser youngsters of today…” They both laughed at their silliness and sat side by side, taking turns to read the story, or well, John read and Sherlock remembered. They recited less than ten pages and Bell was sleeping soundly

“You think she liked it?” John leaned into Sherlock as they walked to their room

“I think she loved it” Sherlock entwined his fingers with John’s and brought his hand to his lips and kissed it softly, reverently

“Bath?” John proposed and Sherlock nodded. They shared a quiet bath, caressing each other, feather-like touches over thighs, chests, backs, slow kisses and sweet moans. When the water started to cool, Sherlock pulled John from the tub and dried him with soft touches, elongating their foreplay with well-placed open mouthed kisses over John’s nipples, his hips, his calves, shoulders, and each finger

John relaxed and allowed Sherlock to work him open. It was sweet and tender, almost like every time Sherlock took charge of their night. John could feel Sherlock love him through every pore of his body, every crevice, every plane, every inch of his skin could feel the love, and it was overwhelming. Sherlock’s hands had him grounded, like they usually did, that magical connection between them growing stronger every time Sherlock looked for John’s hand and entwined their fingers, gazes locked, soft lips over his neck and jaw, soft breaths over his ear and a sweet tongue taking him to heaven and rendering him boneless and breathless

Time wasn’t important, he just allowed Sherlock to love him the way Sherlock loved him, and he just felt, until he fell and like every time, he found himself trying to turn his brain on again, trembling slightly and having his man holding him close through the aftershocks, kissing him softly and like every time, asking if he was okay. He fell asleep with Sherlock’s arms tightly wrapped around him, and the soft beat of Sherlock’s heart in his ear, as he snuggled closer and kept his face hidden in Sherlock chest.

Morning found them in that position, Sherlock hadn’t moved an inch, and John simply settled comfortably in the home Sherlock’s arms created for him. Instead of being startled by Bell’s gurgles, John startled awake by the sudden emptiness he felt by his side. Sherlock had gone to get Bell, leaving a sleeping John alone in bed. Sherlock could hear Bell gurgle and he moved softly, feeling John’s heat against his bare body and not wanting to move an inch; nevertheless, duty called and he went to look after their little girl. He rolled John softly away from him, caressing his back and his arm, leaving a soft kiss over his shoulder and hearing him sigh contently

“I ordered breakfast” Sherlock leaned in and kissed John’s lips once the older man sat at the table “How did you sleep?” He served him some fruit and eggs

“Fabulously… until you left my side” John pouted and made Sherlock smile at him fondly

“Little one here was calling for us” He patted Bell’s head

“I didn’t hear her” John played with his food until Sherlock pushed a fork-full of egg in his mouth

“You were in deep” Sherlock cupped John’s cheek and John leaned into the touch “I didn’t want to wake you”

“Do we have plans?” He snatched the fork from Sherlock’s grip and started eating his breakfast

“Not really” Sherlock propped his head in his hand and looked at John “Why?”

“Just wandering why are we in Helsinki” John imitated Sherlock

“Resting” Sherlock answered “No memories, no schedule… other than Bell’s… just time”

“Are we staying in the room all day?”

“No my love” Sherlock smirked “I was thinking we could go to Suomenlinna for the day, maybe go to Heureka, is a science centre, and of course, the zoo, and tonight, or maybe tomorrow night, we can go to the hotel’s bar and have a drink or two, listen to some music, go for a walk, just the two of us”

“Another date night” John smiled “I like that”

They left their hotel as soon as they finished with breakfast and a quick shower. Their first stop was Suomenlinna, they both fascinated with the fortress and Bell running around, exploring the passages and tunnels, giggling and asking about everything. The tour didn’t take long, and they were back before Bell’s nap time. They put the little lady to rest and planned their next steps; they were going to the zoo and they needed Bell to be wide awake. They rested for a while too, a power nap for both.              

At the zoo Bell made a new acquaintance, she found the peacocks and wanted to grab the dancing eyes no matter what, even though Daddy Sher explained to her that those were feathers and not eyes; that they only looked like eyes; in the end, he had to find a peacock feather for their daughter. For the first time she was able to touch a baby tiger and watch an owl closely. John still wonders how Sherlock did it, but what Sherlock wanted he just got it… most times… not from John… never from John… well…

“How on earth you managed to get Bell to pet a baby tiger?”

“Better if you remain in the dark” Sherlock smirked and John put the issue to rest; though he could imagine that he had read something embarrassing about the tiger’s vet or guardian

Bell was thrilled and John simply allowed her to be. The cub was as excited as Bell and used her as a chew toy until her parents came to the rescue. The baby giggled all the time, her shrills could be heard all over the place as the cub kept on playing with her. The moment was cut short because the bird guardian called for Sherlock, and he had the owl ready for little Bell

Unlike with the tiger; Bell just looked at the bird, the guardian helped her touch the feathers and she remained silent the entire time, imitating the owl. Excitement was flowing through her and she hugged her Daddy John very close when the bird moved and flapped her wings. Daddy Sher distracted her and allowed the man to take the owl back to the rehabilitation centre and he gave her the peacock feather.

She played with it for a long while, walking ahead of her parents and looking at the feather instead of the animals. It was already six when they left the zoo; Bell had forgotten all about her afternoon snack and was ready for dinner. No sooner she finished eating she was drowsy and her parents gave her a quick bath and didn’t need to read to her; Sherlock turned the music box on and left Bell to dream about her day.

“There’s a jazz concert tonight” John looked at some programmes that the bellboy had handed them upon their arrival “Want to check it?”

“It could be nice” Sherlock looked at the programme “Dinner and dance?”

“Dinner and Jazz” John corrected and Sherlock rolled his eyes

To John’s dismay, but later amusement, they ended up dancing at the club, no incidents occurred, Sherlock’s trousers didn’t leave much to the imagination but the people that surrounded him seemed decent enough. Much like the night of the opera, they barely made it to the sofa, startling a very sleepy Tim that had lost track of time and was almost used as a mattress, he ran of the room, barely managing to apologise and John simply let the door close behind him, not caring about anything in the world but the gorgeous man that was currently waiting for him kneeling at the sofa.

Once he could move, Sherlock dragged John to bed “Shoulder” he said and John followed him to the comfortable bed, they were asleep within seconds. The next morning, instead of Bell waking them, it was Tim, walking around the suite talking to Bell with hushed tones

“Morning Tim” a dressing gown clad John greeted him, but Tim just looked down and blushed furiously “About last night…” John looked at the poor man “Thank you for staying so late...” He rubbed the back of his head “We lost track of time” He chuckled and checked the clock; it was already half past nine.

Sherlock made his appearance behind John, holding him tightly, stark naked, and slightly aroused. “Morning Tim” He yawned and looked at the man that was currently displaying every shade of red available in nature in his face

“Sherlock…” John chastised

“What?” Sherlock shrugged

“Last night…” John bit his lips trying not to smile at the memory

“Oh” Sherlock looked at John “Sorry for coming so late Tim” Sherlock apologised to the now purple man “But I did told you we were coming up. The same way I did the night of Faust”

“I fell asleep shortly after eleven” Tim avoided looking at Sherlock and his naked body “I didn’t hear the phone” He whispered

“That’s fine, mate” John pushed Sherlock back to the bedroom and gave him an annoyed look

“What?” Sherlock looked defiantly down at him

“Get that bathrobe over that glorious arse now!” John growled “Your arse is for my viewing pleasure only” He smacked Sherlock’s buttock loudly and left him alone.

Seconds later, Sherlock had covered his body with the bathrobe and was sitting next to his husband having breakfast, Tim nowhere to be seen

“So…” John smirked “That’s why he wasn’t at the flat after Faust” John sipped his tea

“Yup. Told him we were on our way up, that he should leave”

“And you did that because?”

“You already were half naked and I had my trousers and pants around my neck the moment you opened the door” Sherlock answered nonchalantly

“And you warned him last night?”

“That I did. I told him that we were on our way up, that he must leave, but he was asleep. We barely made it to the sofa, John” Sherlock bit his lower lip and made the good doctor shiver “You were about to have me against the door” He shrugged “That would have been a bit more embarrassing”

“Oh well…” John shrugged

“We have to be at Heureka in less than an hour. There’s a show I want to see and Bell will find it interesting, since she likes bees and butterflies” Sherlock stood from the chair and carried Bell to the living room “Watch telly for a while little love, Daddy and Papa will be right back” He tousled her curls before pulling John to the room and heading to the shower

They left to Heureka and indeed, Bell had the most fun she had so far during their trip. They had a quick lunch at the place and played the entire afternoon, until Bell was too tired to keep on going. They woke her to have her eat something, bathed her quickly and she was soon asleep, leaving her parent to share a lazy night. Sherlock asked for some popcorn and ordered a movie while John prepared them a cocktail in the mini bar. They settled in bed to watch the movie, and before they knew it, they were both fast asleep. The next morning they shared breakfast as usual, and Sherlock treated John with a tour around Helsinki before going to the airport and parting to Oslo.         


	65. Oslo. John in charge. May 21st to May 24th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JOhn in charge of the trip for once, a mystery envelope and phones out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some sexy times

The minute they hit Oslo, a letter was waiting for them, along with their black sedan

“Mycroft’s?”

“Yeah” Sherlock turned the envelope in his hand to find the characteristic _M_ on it “Looks important, he never uses his stationary unless it’s really important”

“We’ll check it at the hotel, I’m starving” John tugged at Sherlock’s hand and pulled him to the back seat of the car

“The Thief” Sherlock said to the driver

“Is that the name of the hotel?” John sniggered

“Yes” Sherlock chuckled “The Thief”

“Well, the last one was called The Glo” He laughed “I guess there can be a Thief… Bye the way, what are our plans for the afternoon”

“First, feed you” Sherlock kissed John “Then… I don’t know. I guess we can check the town out”

“No plans?”

“None whatsoever”

“So I could plan what to do?”

“You may”

“Mm…” John pondered for a second and pulled his phone out “I know” He said excitedly “We’re going to and amusement park!” Sherlock looked horrified, he blinked and gaped several times, trying to find the correct words to refuse but he had already agreed to do what John wanted to do “I’ve booked the tickets for tomorrow. We can take Bell to all the attractions and we can go alone to others” John kept on rambling, checking his phone again to check the attractions. “We can go on the rollercoaster and the skyrocket… and this ride looks great”

“I…” Sherlock felt nervous “I’ve never been to an amusement park” He looked down

“Never?” John looked at him with disbelief

“Never… Mycroft was too old to go with me anywhere and I was too young to go alone anywhere. He was a teenager at university when we could have gone to an amusement park. The only ride I’ve ever taken, besides the tube, is the London Eye… for a case…” He was blushing the cutest shade of pink

“Oh honey…” John coddled “I promise you’ll have fun” He kissed his husband and tousled his hair, Sherlock pouted and John couldn’t resist it, he snogged him senseless until Sherlock had to stop to breath “How long until we got to the hotel?” John asked with a teasing tone

“An hour” Sherlock answered with a sigh. John groaned and had to pull away from Sherlock before something happened. He pulled his phone out again and grinned wickedly “I’ve found something we could do. I just need Tim to take care of Bell for an hour… maybe less… No, knowing you… less” He texted Tim and showed the driver the address on the phone and the man simply nodded

By the time they arrived to the venue Tim was there and John handed Bell to him. Sherlock was confused, he had no idea where they were or what they were doing but he was beyond thrilled that John wanted to surprise him, so he was going to allow that without even trying to deduce what was all that about

“Welcome to the House of Secrets” a young woman greeted “Doctor Watson and Mister Holmes?”

“Yes” John smiled at her and made her blush; Sherlock rolled his eyes and sighed with clear annoyance

“This way, gentlemen, if you please” the young woman led them to a room and left them there

“Okay babe” John grabbed Sherlock’s hand “Now, you have to solve this puzzles in less than sixty minutes so we can leave. If you do it in less than forty five will get another game… Ready?” He gave Sherlock a snog and handed him a few clues

Sherlock was thrilled; he sure was surprised John had found this in such a short time, and even more surprised that he was actually excited about solving a game. He checked the clues and knew exactly what to do but decided to take his time; he would do it in forty minutes to get to the other game, nothing less as not to disappoint John.

Effectively, after forty minutes he had solved the puzzle, freed the world from an imminent attack and played the game. To Sherlock’s amusement he had fun and wanted to repeat the experience, this time, really playing the game and including John as much as possible, in fact, he would let John take the next game, just giving him helpful hints, so they would do it in the right assigned time.

John was thrilled too, he could see Sherlock thriving, at his best, reading clues, obtaining data, doing what he knew best; solving puzzles. The next game started and John challenged him. Solve it on twenty minutes and play again, this time the games combined. Sherlock accepted the challenge and in twenty minutes he had solved the game

“I knew you could do it!” John beamed at him “Want to play again?” Sherlock shook his head and headed outside the door to the car, thanking the girl for the effort and suggesting a few changes to make the game “bearable, John smiled at him and his bluntness and held his hand proudly “I even forgot I wanted to eat” John smiled at him “I love watching you solve crimes”

“And I love you” Sherlock gave him a quick peck “Let’s go grab something to eat” He pulled John close and looked around them, he could see a banner with the name of a pizza place and walked there with John and Bell, Tim following them closely. He treated them to a large pizza and watched as his husband ate half of it and Tim finished the other half “More” He chuckled softly and made John blush. John shook his head and leaned over Sherlock’s shoulder “Home then?”

“Yup… Feel like cuddling” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear

“She has enough toys and painting books?” John nodded “I’ll carry her” Sherlock picked Bell from her chair and hugged her close, whispering sweet nothings in French and making her giggle

Once they arrived to the hotel, Sherlock was received by the manager once again; their suite was ready and they gave them a chance to visit the spa, John accepted gladly, he went directly to the sauna dragging a reluctant Detective behind him

“We’ve had the chance to go to any spa in any of the hotels. Why this one?” Sherlock complained

“Because I feel like it, love” John leaned close to him and enjoyed the steam “After this I’m getting a massage”

“But I can give you a massage!” Sherlock pouted

“WE are getting a massage” John corrected

“John!”

“Sherlock!” John imitated him, using the same tone of voice and look “If they say a word about your back, I’ll kill them”

“Fine…” Sherlock relented. In the end he enjoyed the massage and was half sleep when it was over

“Love?” John shook him softly “It’s done… Let’s go to our room” Sherlock took the offered hand and followed John. They ended up cuddling in bed for a while before Bell was ready for dinner and wanted to be with her daddies. They followed their daily routine and went to bed, relaxed and happy. Before dawn, Sherlock woke up John with a kiss and surprised him by doing everything he had wanted to do to his Doctor, and John simply relaxed and enjoyed the reverie he was receiving.

In the morning, more than sated, they went to Bell’s and cooed her with kisses and soft voices, having a family breakfast, only because they’ll be leaving her for a while to go to the amusement park. Obviously, their first ride was the merry-go-round, followed by the little train, and all the time the faithful Tim was following them, until he “offered” to take care of Bell while her parents enjoyed the park, John more than Sherlock. In the end, Sherlock enjoyed the park more than he would ever admit it.

They went to the more intense games, first the nightmare, then the sky coaster, and finally the speed monster; he even enjoyed the flying chair and the bumper cars, to end their day with their daughter enjoying a ride at a little motorcycle. After a long and eventful day, their black sedan was waiting for them to return to the hotel, Bell fell asleep as soon as the car started running and Sherlock didn’t feel like waking her once they arrived to the hotel, after all, she had skipped her afternoon nap and she had eaten before leaving the park.

“Did you have fun?” John asked as he snuggled closer to his Detective after their breathes had calmed down enough

“Of course, John!” Sherlock caressed the Doctor’s bare back “I always have fun when we make love” He hugged him closer

“I…” John blushed and hid his head in Sherlock’s neck “I didn’t mean…” He moved his hand to Sherlock’s cheek “God! You say the most wonderful things sometimes…” He kissed his neck and enjoyed the way Sherlock squirmed “What I meant to ask…” He lifted his head and looked at Sherlock “Is if you had fun this afternoon” He gave him a kiss

“Yes, I had fun” Sherlock admitted “But I always have fun when I’m with you” He entwined his fingers with John’s hair and rubbed the back of his head, scratching it a little

“Did you like the rides?” John was resting over Sherlock’s chest enjoying the soothing caresses

“Yes. I did. I liked the train” Sherlock answered and his eyes twinkled

“I liked it too, especially the one we got to ride with Bell” He smiled

“Do you have any idea how much it will take for her to go back to normal after this trip” Sherlock seemed a bit concerned, his frown reflecting his pensive state

“I do” John sighed “Though she might not be able to remember much of this trip”

“I think we should travel with them at least once a year. Take them to some country in a long vacation, perhaps starting with Vienna, then Pau” Sherlock put his free hand behind his head

“Them…” John looked at Sherlock with dreamy eyes “I can’t wait” He kissed Sherlock’s chest

“I hope we have him by the end of the trip” Sherlock closed his eyes and pictured the perfect little Hamish, a copy of his father

“I hope he’s a him” John rubbed his face against Sherlock’s chest, closing his eyes and imagining William, a perfect little copy of Sherlock “Night my love” He rubbed Sherlock’s cheek

“Night my love” Sherlock kissed the top of his head, within seconds they were both asleep

Unlike the other mornings, even Bell woke up late; too many emotions in one day; and the family started their morning at half past eight. Breakfast was already at the table, since Sherlock had asked for it to be there by seven. They woke up to the smell of pancakes and honey

“What are our plans for today?” Sherlock asked for once since the trip started

“I was thinking we could go to the museum of magic, maybe the historical museum… Or we could go to the beach, have a relaxing day, play with Bell for a while, come back and have a nice rest before we leave to Stockholm”

“Stockholm?” Sherlock quirked a brow

“I figured since we’re here…” John bit his upper lip

“Whatever you want my love”

“Maybe we can go to Copenhagen too” John tilted his head to the side, as if embarrassed of asking

“Of course we can, and we can go to Vilnius first, then Tallinn and finally Riga… and from there… I think I’m ready to go to Minsk” Sherlock shivered

“No” John shook his head “From there we’re going to The Netherlands and The Czech Republic, after that we’re going to Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro… if by then you’re strong enough, we’ll go to Minsk… and after Minsk we’ll decide if we go to Serbia or not…” John looked at his husband intently… Besides… I’d like to go to Spain and maybe even Portugal… Cover the entire continent before we visit Asia”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course… and we have a plane now, so the driving around is over, unless we’re in town. We have a daughter and she gets upset and irritated when we travel for more than four hours”

Sherlock scowled at this, but understood perfectly, he had to think about Bell; after all, they were no longer two. “So… beach today?” John nodded Sherlock checked a few brochures that the manager had left in their room “Here says that Bygdoy is a nice beach, you can ride a bike… and it’s actually very close to the hotel. Five minutes by car”

“Perfect” John finished his tea “I’ll go pack, you get Bell ready” he left the table and went to their room

They decided to walk to the beach, they had more than enough time, and walking around had always been a pleasure for them. An hour later they were enjoying the beach, playing with Bell as planned, playing with each other. They returned to the hotel late in the afternoon, exhausted and in the black sedan.

Sherlock’s hair was a mess of sand and salty water and John decided that he would wash his hair. After putting Bell to rest, with Daddy Sher’s music, he prepared the bath for his madman and washed his hair softly, carding his fingers in his hair to untangle the impossible knots and get rid of all the sand in them. Sherlock relished in the touch, he moaned softly after John pulled his hair a bit and decided he had been teased enough. He pulled John to his chest and started caressing his husband’s erection until John went limp in his arms, ragged breathing and ecstasy running all over his body

“I love you” John panted in Sherlock’s ear

“I love you, John” Sherlock breathed “Let me get you dried and into bed” He pulled his limp husband from the water; he dried him and put him to bed. John put his head in the pillow and was soon asleep, Sherlock watched him for a while, seeing his smile, the way his eyes moved as he dreamed, the soft snores of exhaustion that escaped from his mouth, and the words of love he had for him. He embraced his husband and closed his eyes, finding sleep as soon as he did           


	66. Stockholm. You bought me a boat? May 24th to May 27th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock sat on the floor, catching his breath and rubbing softly his injured neck “I’m fine” He said to the dark room, listening to the ragged breaths coming from John “Help me up, please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock bought a boat!!!

Since the hotel was an hour away from the airport, Sherlock decided to leave as soon as possible, though he had booked a tour for them, as a way to treat John with more than Oslo than what they had seen. A car was waiting for them and took them to a tour of the entire city; they saw monuments and visited a couple of museums before Sherlock decided it was time to go to the airport

John was surprised when he saw what was waiting for them, instead of their plane; there was a helicopter in its place. Of course, Bell will fly in the helicopter with them; there was no way they would leave their little lady alone. Sherlock had hired a helicopter for John’s pleasure; an instructor was to take them to Stockholm, and John was to fly the helicopter

“I’ll repay the favour tonight” John kissed Sherlock deeply and made the Detective blush to his ears

“Can’t hardly wait” He half sighed, half bit a moan.

The ride in helicopter was exhilarating, John had never been happier and Sherlock couldn’t take his eyes from John’s happy face. Soon they were ready to land, but John had no idea the next surprise Sherlock had for them. Instead of landing at the airport in Stockholm, they were about to land at a port, where a yacht was waiting for them

“Why are we landing here?”  

“Because” Sherlock had a glimmer in his eyes, he loved the sea and had wanted to take a boat trip since they landed in Greece. He had enjoyed staying at Santorini, bit his entire family was there; now he had the chance to show John his sailing skills.

“Because?” John insisted

“I know it looks big, but it’s actually smaller than the one Mamie has. This one accommodates our family, maybe a couple friends, just twelve people” Sherlock started rambling until John grabbed his face with his two hands and made him look at him

“Sherlock, love, breathe” Sherlock inhaled “Now let go” Sherlock exhaled “Okay, now, explain”

“It’s a BG” Sherlock pointed at the yacht

“And?” John lifted an eyebrow

“And is smaller than the one Mamie has” Sherlock avoided to look at John

“Okay?”

“I think that if you see the room you’ll understand why I decided to get it, because there is a room next to ours that we can use for Bell while she’s little, and then there are many other rooms we can use, or our family, our friends…” Sherlock started rambling again and John had to kiss him to stop the Detective’s crazy ramble

“You bought us a boat?” John looked at him, still holding his face in his hands, Sherlock nodded and looked down “And you are nervous, why?” John was smiling

“Because”

“Because?”

“Because you were angry at me after I purchased the plane… You can say you were happy but you had that look on your face, the one when I told you that we had a house in Pau” Sherlock was in rapid fire mode again

“Sherlock” John was holding his hands now, he was trembling “Look at me, please” He tugged his hands softly until the Detective looked up “You bought a plane with your brother’s help, right?” Sherlock nodded “So it’s partly yours and partly Mycroft’s” Sherlock nodded again “And this boat? Is it only ours? Or did you buy it with your brother’s help too”

“Mycroft chipped in” Sherlock said with a hair of voice

“So it belongs to your brother too” John stated and Sherlock nodded “Sherlock…” John sighed “I don’t mind you buying things, it’s your money after all and you can do as you please with it” John rubbed his face with his free hand “What I don’t like is you not telling me because you think I might get angry” He looked at Sherlock’s ocean like eyes “I love when you surprise me. In fact, it’s… endearing” He gave him a sweet kiss “Now, show me this boat of ours so we can start our trip” He started walking towards the yacht

“You’re not angry?” Sherlock asked, absolutely disbelieving his luck

“Why would I be angry? I wasn’t angry about the plane; I was surprised, just like I was surprised with the house at Vienna and finding about your money…”

“OUR money” Sherlock corrected

“Now is our money, before it was yours… so your money before it became ours” John sighed “I don’t get angry at you for no reason, my love, just when you lie to me”

“Or when you think I haven’t told you about women flirting with me”

“Sherlock…”

“See?” Sherlock guffawed, making John laugh heartily

“Okay, show me the boat” John rolled his eyes and embarked

They were received by the crew, a captain, a chef and two maids, Tim and their security detail. Sherlock took John’s hand and carried Bell to the upper deck

“We have a hot tub?” John’s eyes widened in surprise

“Yes. This is the sun deck; we have a hot tub and the sun pads. I used our colours” Sherlock showed John the sun pads, they were red and blue “If you follow me” He led John to the upper deck “This is the upper deck, here we have some lounge chairs where we can rest here or sunbathe instead of going to the sun deck” Sherlock showed John the deck at the stern “As you saw, we have a table here, for late dinners or breakfast, whatever, and through there we have the deck lounge with a telly and a pantry” Sherlock turned the telly on

“Through this hallway we have a powder room and that door there is the entrance to our office and the other door leads to the wheel house and the radio room, behind the radio room there is another door that leads to the captain’s cabin. There are three sets of stairs that lead down to the main deck where our room is, one at port, the other at starboard, and one that comes down from the wheel house” Sherlock took John to the wheel house and showed him the chart table

“Through these stairs we can go to the main deck and to the gallery, through here is the dining room and the living room with another telly and we have another lounge here” John’s eyes kept on widening as he absorbed the enormity of the yacht “Through here we have the main passage and this here “Sherlock opened a large door “Is our room. We have our own private entrance here, and that door over there leads to what now is Bell’s room”

“This is our room?” John couldn’t believe what he was seeing “And that door?”

“That’s our bathroom”

“Wow” John walked from one side to the other, opening doors and finding every secret in their bathroom “This is the biggest bathroom I’ve ever seen. I love this tub!” He was truly excited “Show me Bell’s room?”

“Through here” Sherlock led John to a nicely decorated room; it had a small bed, books, a music box and plush toys of every size and colour; a desk with colouring books and a box full with blocks for Bell to play

“Looks incredible!” John couldn’t believe his eyes

“When she grows up she can choose a room from the lower deck” Sherlock looked pensive “And through this set of stairs we can go down to the lower deck” He tugged John’s hand to wake him from his surprised state and had him follow down another set of stairs “Through this door here we have the mess room, a freezer and a cool room. That hallway leads to the crew’s cabins, the kitchen and laundry area” Sherlock took John through another set of stairs, up and down again “and at the stern of the boat, we have all our guests’ rooms. This is the hall and each room has a private bathroom. I prepared the rooms for couples, but the beds can be turned into twins if we need them to be”     

“You think of everything, don’t you?”

“Well…” Sherlock scratched the back of his head “I was thinking that you might like to continue our trip by boat, and the more comfortable we are the better. If by any chance we get to meet our family and invite them here, we can do it…” Sherlock was playing with the hem of his shirt “And summer is so close and hotels will be crowded, and you know how I hate people…” Sherlock couldn’t stop rambling

“And these stairs lead to?” John pulled Sherlock for a kiss and ran him up the stairs to the main deck. The Detective followed him happily and by the time he reached their room, John was ready to get into the hot tub and share a lazy afternoon watching the water. Sherlock joined him and watched Bell play in the water with her father; after a while, one of the crew came with drinks and food for them, and took the sleepy baby from her parents. The maid gave her a bath and tucked her in to bed, leaving the music fill her dreams

Sherlock and John left the water shortly after, only to find themselves at their shower washing off the sun from each other. Dinner was served in their suite and before they knew it, sleep had taken them, telly turned on, fully clothed and on the sofa. John could feel numbness creep down his left arm and it immediately produced a nightmare. He shouted Sherlock’s name and the Detective jerked up, eyes fluttering open and hardly recognizing his surroundings.

Sherlock reached for John’s hand and the Doctor reacted badly, he jumped on top of Sherlock, throwing him to the floor, instead of fighting, Sherlock stiffened and breathed slowly

“Mehrabai wakrey! Na! Ze gem Rafiq! Rafiq…1” John repeated incessantly

Sherlock recognised the words, John repeated them every now and then and he looked his Mind Palace thesaurus and identified the language as Kurdish and the meaning of the words…   

“It’s me, John” Sherlock whispered softly, not moving a muscle and lying under his husband’s sturdy body “It’s Sherlock. I’m okay, I’m here” He kept talking in hushed tones “Open your eyes my love” His voice was calm and soothing even though his heart was threatening to explode in his chest and he was scared shitless “I love you, John” he could feel John’s finger relaxing around his neck “I love you, my husband” John was breathing more easily and his features had relaxed “I love you, open your eyes, please, for me” John sighed and slowly opened his eyes.

He saw Sherlock lying on the floor under him, his hands around his neck, his fingers marking the beautiful marble with purplish fingerprints. Sherlock’s eyes were filled with tears and fear. John scrambled to his feet, pushing himself up and away from Sherlock

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” He buried his face in his hands and leaned against the door of the suite

Sherlock sat on the floor, catching his breath and rubbing softly his injured neck “I’m fine” He said to the dark room, listening to the ragged breaths coming from John “Help me up, please?”

A long minute passed before John could move again; he was kneeling near the door, not knowing what to do until Sherlock spoke and asked for his help, he doubted at first but decided to go and help him, he moved slowly, afraid of reaching Sherlock. He crawled to him, slowly. When they were just a few inches apart, Sherlock put his hand close to John’s and John took it

“I’m sorry my love” John pulled Sherlock into an embrace, soft at first “I had a weird dream…”

“My fall?” Sherlock’s voice was broken; John’s nightmares made him feel guilty

“No” John shook his head

“Then?” Sherlock’s curiosity spiked

“We were in Afghanistan and I accidentally gave you a kiss on the cheek. We’re not supposed to do that… and a group of men came and took you away from me. All I could do was say that you’re my friend and they didn’t want to let you go. One of the men hit my left shoulder and all I could feel was numbness going down my arm…” His left hand trembled and he clenched it “I guess that when you touch me I tried to defend myself and fight my way back to you” He kissed Sherlock’s curls “I’m sorry my love… I’m sorry”

Sherlock relaxed, just slightly, he needed to find out the reason why John was having such nightmares “I’m okay, nothing that a few kisses can’t mend” He tried to joke but John was still too tense “From here, we’re following your plan, We’re going to Spain, we’re going to relax, then we’re going to America and I’m leaving the Middle East for last” He rubbed John’s back and could feel how he relaxed, his shoulders lowering and his pulse slowing to normal “Come” Sherlock lead John to the bed and helped him undress. He massaged John’s shoulder and could feel the knots dissolving under his fingertips

John could feel his shoulder relaxing too; he pulled Sherlock close and kissed his neck, softly, passing his lips over every mark his fingers had left. He shuddered, knowing how close he was to really hurting Sherlock, he needed to make sure to sleep in a bed every night, and try and convince his sleeping brain that he was just having a nightmare. Thankfully, Sherlock knew what to do, but his PTSD had kicked in again for no apparent reason

They fell into a restless sleep and by morning, Sherlock had left their bed very early and was with Bell having breakfast. John knew something else was happening, and they will have to talk sooner or later

“I was thinking we could go to the museum of Science” Sherlock said as a greeting, avoiding looking at John, John’s nightmare still ringing in his ears and hurting his neck

“Sure, whatever you want” John served some tea and sat on the living room

“An tomorrow to the Tom Tits Experiment” Sherlock was looking at Bell at the time, and John had no idea if he was either being ignored or informed

“Yes” John nodded

“And tonight…” Sherlock sighed and decided to look at John “We are going to talk about what happened last night” John nodded frantically and Sherlock gave him the -come here and kiss me- look and John practically ran to him

“I’m sorry my love, I’m so sorry” John kissed Sherlock’s neck and lips and eyes “I’m so sorry” he kept apologising until Sherlock pulled him to his lap and kissed him properly

“Just talk to me, don’t apologise” Sherlock rubbed John’s cheek with his thumb “I love you John”

“I love you” John kissed him again

“Now” Sherlock patted John’s buttock “Have a proper breakfast and get ready, because we are leaving in less than an hour” John breathed Sherlock in and enjoyed the feeling of utter joy of having his madman calm again.

They spent the entire day at the science museum, Bell found a few experiments she liked and performed them repeatedly all the while Sherlock and John played with a few other innovations they found at the exhibit. Then Sherlock took his family to a park but John wanted to go back to their home, they had a restless night and waking up alone had always made John feel tired and grumpy the whole day. They left Bell playing in the living room, a watchful Tim with her all the time and they went to the sun deck. Watching over the ocean, Sherlock pulled John on a hug and kissed him deeply

“Why are you so worried?” He asked a troubled looking John

“I’ve been thinking about us” John closed his eyes and tried to relax, feeling the May sun on his face and his bones “About our marriage and this trip” Sherlock could feel his stomach clench and his blood freeze in his veins “I’m so tired…” John sighed and Sherlock patted his hand, trying to remain as calm as possible “There are times when I think all this happiness can’t be real and I fear that someday I’m going to open my eyes and I’ll be in that bedsit again, alone” Sherlock passed a comforting hand over John’s arm in spite of the gut-wrenching feeling he had “I don’t know what brought this back, I think it has to do with what happened in Russia, with Bell being threatened by our past, Nikka telling me she loves you, all mixed with a few memories about Afghanistan” Sherlock’s dread level had reached their maximum but his face remained stoic

John shifted a little closer, sensing his husband was tense, in spite of the calm demeanour he tried to convey “When I wake up and I’m alone I fear that I’ve finally woken up from this wonderful dream, that this” he signalled with his hand to their surroundings “is nothing but a beautiful dream… That you” He put his hand to Sherlock’s chest “Are just a creation of my wild imagination” John rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder “I’m never leaving your side; you’re everything I need and want, I could never bear the idea of you leaving my side, and seeing someone taking you from me…” John was trembling “Last night I was dreaming about the desert, you were dressed as a soldier, it was the same nightmare as ever, I was on patrol and I was talking to you. I had to leave the fox and I gave you a quick kiss for luck… like I always do… It seemed so normal; but the Taliban saw us and they captured you, they were threatening to kill you, because what you allowed me to do is a sin. I kept saying that you are my friend but they wouldn’t let you go, suddenly my shoulder was bleeding, they had me on the floor, they wouldn’t let me touch you, your head… You fell and…” John’s eyes were filled with tears and all Sherlock could do was hold him

“I’m here, my love. I’m not going anywhere, and this is not a dream. Let me prove it to you” He took John’s trembling hands and kissed each finger; then he moved to kiss his lips, softly at first, until the passion built in their bodies. He pulled John up and lead him to their room in a hurry “I love you” he repeated every time he thrusted into John, and he made sure that John could feel all the love he had for him with his body.

The next morning, John woke up in Sherlock’s arms, Tim had taken care of Bell and their car was ready to take them to Tom Tits. Sherlock woke John gently; he showered him with kisses and caresses until John opened his eyes and smiled at his madman “Wake up my love” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear “We have a fun day ahead” He fed John and helped him shower. He grabbed his hand and didn’t let go the entire day

They played the entire day at the experiment centre, shared a picnic and took a nap at the park before going in again to play some more, at the store they bought several games both for Bell and for them, they got a few for Mycroft and Greg, it seemed like a great idea and a wonderful wedding gift. They parted the store with at least one game of each

Before their bed time, John leaned in to Sherlock as they danced a slow song “At what time are we leaving?”

“You shouldn’t worry John” Sherlock kissed his forehead “By the time we leave, you’ll still be sleeping” He smiled at him “And I’ll be by your side” He reassured “You may see me captain her when we’re headed to Spain”

“Would you teach me?” John leaned into Sherlock’s chest

“Everything” Sherlock tilted his head up and kissed him       

1Please! No! Is my friend! (Sorry for the rough translation)


	67. Copenhagen. The mysterious envelope May 27th to May 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was urgent?” Sherlock quirked his brow as he went to call a maid to help his brother  
> “It’s still urgent but the urgency has another meaning now”  
> “Mycroft, stop being so cryptic”  
> “I need the envelope” Mycroft looked at his brother “Ah, John” He saw the Doctor coming “I see you have opened the envelope”  
> “What is this?” John demanded “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” He shouted shoving the envelope in Mycroft’s hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens... Dun dun dun!

By the time John opened his eyes, they were arriving to Copenhagen. Without him noticing they had travelled the entire night and they should be arriving within the next hour, including the time they might need to dock. What John wasn’t expecting was the cabin boat that was waiting for them by the time he was done with breakfast

“We are following the Fairy Tale route” A guide seating at the front of the shore boat told them “Mister Holmes has booked the tour for the day and our first stop will be the Fairy-tale house”

In fact, after a few minutes they were at the entrance of the museum and Sherlock guided his little girl through the stories, she was mesmerised with the characters, following with her blow eyes every single detail, she made her parents fall in love with her all over again, as they enjoyed her amazement. She wanted to reach for everything, but listened to Daddy Sher and held his hand instead. John looked at her lovingly and carried her so she could see more easily every single detail of the exhibit.

When the tour was over, Bell asked to go again and they had concede; it was one of the few things they could do for her, find something she could really enjoy besides parks and zoos. After the museum, they ended up at the King’s garden. They had taken a like to have picnics at parks and the garden provided them with the best scenery for it. They walked hand in hand to the little mermaid monument and watched in awe as Bell caressed the base softly and talked to her, telling her the whole story

“Daddy?” Bell tugged at John’s hand

“Yes beautiful?” John picked her up

“Why is she not moving?” Her innocence made her ask the most wonderful questions

“Because she’s made of bronze” John answered softly

“But she has to swim, Daddy, but she can’t move” Bell looked worriedly at the statue

“Don’t worry little love” Sherlock got her from John “She swims every night when we’re not watching” He lied to her “She stays still during the day so we can take photos and she swims all night” He explained

“And we can swim too?”

“No” John tousled her hair “Because she swims at night and she swims here with her friends, but if we come she stays still again, that’s why we have to leave her alone, if you come to swim with her she has to stay still. She’s under a spell, remember?” John pitched in

“A bad witch?”

“Yes beautiful” John smiled “A bad witch made her stay still during the day and she can only swim at night, when you’re sleeping” Bell reached the mermaid’s feet with her little hand and did something that melted both her parents hearts

“I love you mermaid, I don’t like the prince or the witch. I go now so you can have your swim” She waved goodbye “Okay Daddy. We go now so she can have her swim” They smiled at each other and signalled to the tour guide to take them to their next stop

“You’re having dinner at Nyhavn, we’ll walk along the boulevard and you have a reservation at seven at Venezia; its Italian food, as you requested, for your daughter” The guide directed them to the canal “The cabin will be waiting for you at the end of the Harbour”

“Where are you guys eating?” Sherlock asked the guide and the boy shrugged “Care to join us? Call the driver” The boy nodded and they all shared a nice dinner, followed by a little wine before leaving to their yacht

“By the way, sir” The guide shook Sherlock’s hand “Your tickets are ready for tomorrow. You have to zoo from ten in the morning, the naval museum in the afternoon, and as you requested, the jazz concert tickets have been delivered and your captain has them”

“Thank you” Sherlock gave him one of his rare smiles “I’ll see you tomorrow” The boy’s eyes widened open and just nodded, unbelieving his luck when he opened his hand; Sherlock had given him a thousand euros

“T-Thank you, sir” The boy stuttered “See you tomorrow”

The moment he entered the yacht, a very distressed captain was waiting for him “Excuse me sir” The captain walked to him “There’s a man on board, he came this afternoon looking for you and upon seeing you had left your mobile phones here, he settled himself in one of the guest cabins” The captain was angry and very disturbed “He hasn’t introduced himself and ordered not to be disturbed unless you arrive. I tried to stop him but two men pushed me away” Sherlock sighed and grinned, his brother hadn’t changed a bit

“Don’t worry Captain” He patted the man’s shoulder “I’ll deal with him. He is your other boss, by the way, my brother Mycroft”

“Oh… Sorry sir… It won’t happen again sir” The captain blushed and his voice trembled “I had no idea sir; he was rude so I was rude too. I’m so sorry, please apologise to him for me” The man hurried away and Sherlock shook his head, his brother terrorising the world for the last forty three years

“Honey!” John called “We have a surprise visitor!” he singed 

“Coming” Sherlock yelled from the deck. He decided to take a deep breath, his brother’s presence in their yacht meant business, usually dangerous business. He was ready for an adventure but he was enjoying the lazy days, although with Bell and John they weren’t as lazy as one can imagine, he had to keep his active daughter distracted and he liked walking around with John, he had no time to be worried about boredom, and John had ways to keep him distracted, and most of all, happy

“Brother” Sherlock greeted Mycroft with a smile

“Brother” Mycroft gave him a glance over his computer and signalled him to wait with his index finger

“Ruling the world at all times I see?” Sherlock teased

“I have no other choice, mostly because my little brother completely forgot about the note I sent to him a week ago, and now I find out he and his husband have turned the world off” he placed the computer next to him in the seat and stood

Sherlock glared at him, but it was more playful than hateful “Then, to what do we owe this _dubious_ ” Sherlock sniggered “Pleasure?”

“Sherlock…” Mycroft tried to chastise him but he couldn’t help but laugh, he went to his brother and hugged him close

Sherlock returned the hug and smiled at his brother “You just missed the young lady; she was spent after our visit to the little mermaid”

“I’ll see her tomorrow; I’m staying here for the day, if you don’t mind”

“Of course not, but you do owe and apology to the captain” Sherlock gave him a disapproving look

“I know…” Mycroft smirked “Poor man, he must be terrified”

“To say the least” Sherlock shook his head and sighed, looking at his brother disapprovingly. For once Mycroft looked down

“I’ll do it later” He whispered “And I’ll give him a raise so he won’t kill me” He joked

“Is everything okay?” Sherlock walked to the bar and poured some scotch in three tumblers, offering one to John and the other to Mycroft, he accepted gladly

“Yes, but I do need you to find the envelope that was delivered to you the day you arrived to Oslo” John nodded and went to look for it, he knew exactly where he had stashed it

“Is it urgent?” Sherlock sipped his drink and sat in front of his brother “Have you eaten?”

“Yes and no” Mycroft put his drink to the side “Yes it was urgent, and no, I haven’t eaten”

“Was urgent?” Sherlock quirked his brow as he went to call a maid to help his brother

“It’s still urgent but the urgency has another meaning now”

“Mycroft, stop being so cryptic”

“I need the envelope” Mycroft looked at his brother “Ah, John” He saw the Doctor coming “I see you have opened the envelope”

“What is this?” John demanded “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” He shouted shoving the envelope in Mycroft’s hand

“You’re supposed to be the doctor here, John” Mycroft sneered getting a glare from Sherlock

“Look at this” He snatched the envelope from Mycroft’s hand and gave it to Sherlock. Sherlock’s eyes widened at the picture he was holding, he gaped several times, his brain completely frozen; his eyes flickering back and forth from John to the picture “You just gave your brother a stroke” John pulled Sherlock to the sofa and helped him sit  

“I just delivered the news” Mycroft smirked “They were given to me, I spread them and delivered to you” He was acting like the usual sufficient prat he is

“YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED!” John pulled him by the lapels of his three piece suit ‘Brat! Not even in the middle of the ocean he dresses like a normal human!’

“If you’ll excuse me, Doctor Watson” He pushed John away from him and fixed the front of his suit “I did call. Your phones were off” He gave John a pointed look “I found out about the news just a few hours before but YOU were out of reach” Mycroft looked at his catatonic brother “I’ve been trying to tell you about it since Helsinki, and I had no other choice but to send it over in an envelope” He snatched the envelope from Sherlock’s still hands “I even had to come here; I left very important meetings to come and find you, to find out if you had seen the contents of the envelope”

“I’m sorry” John sighed and sat next to his husband, rubbing his back and trying to get him out of the brain freeze state

“At least you reacted; he’s been like that for almost a minute” Mycroft looked at his brother with concern

“He had the same look when I asked him to be my best man” John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s ruffled hair “I’m sure he’s said everything he thinks inside that head of his. He’ll be out in a few more secs”

“Now that I think about it, you did the same when I sent you the custody documents for Isabelle” Mycroft shook his head, his hands on his waist, the typical Holmesian pose accompanied by a disappointed look

“Yes… I recall finding all about it less than twelve hours before we got her…” John received the picture from Mycroft and looked at it, caressing softly the image on it

“Scotch anybody?” Sherlock seemed to startle awake and went to fill his tumbler to the top, but instead of serving more scotch on top of his already half glass, he served sherry; he downed half of it in one large swig. Before serving more he sipped at it and frowned at the contents, rotating the tumbler in his fingers

“How was that?” John smiled up at him

“Surprisingly well” Sherlock looked down at the tumbler in his hand

“So…” John held the picture up

“That means that we…” Sherlock looked at the image

“Yes” John stood and went to him

“So, we are…” Sherlock couldn’t get the words out of his mouth

“Yes” John kissed him “That means…”

“That our baby is on their way” Sherlock couldn’t hold it anymore, a broad grin spread over his face and the smile reached his eyes, then he turned to his brother “We were supposed to have a meeting with whatever his name before your wedding”  

“I told you he’d been trying already, and that I would let you know as soon as it hatched, and it has” Mycroft handed him several files containing all the information about their baby “He just confirmed she’s about five weeks in, and that she should deliver by the end of January”

“January?” John looked at Sherlock knowing he was thinking the same; their baby being born like an anniversary present. Mycroft nodded and knew immediately what they were thinking

“The odds are not with you, but it might happen” He grabbed the picture of his future niece or nephew “Congratulations, little brother” He hugged Sherlock “Congratulations, John” He patted John’s shoulder “Let me know if you want to know the sex”

“No” Sherlock shook his head “I think all our children should be a surprise. It has gone rather well so far” He chuckled

“Are you ready to travel with a new-born?” Mycroft asked the doctor

“I think that after this, we’re ready for whatever comes our way” He hugged Sherlock by the waist and kissed his shoulder “Have you eaten?”

“No, but I think my brother has ordered some food for me”

“Good” He tousled Sherlock’s curls “Are you comfortable in your room?”

“Yes, very much, it’s quiet enough to work and to rest, and I must say I’m glad I’m away, at least for a couple of days. Mummy’s been driving me up the wall with all the wedding planning. I know Gregory is going to hate me, but… I had to leave London” He sagged his shoulders “I feel so tired…” He rubbed his face

“Want us to get Greg here?” John proposed

“There’s no way he could get away, he’s been rather busy since you’re gone; but he’s managing. He might be calling you about a few cases in a couple of days; he also said to thank you for helping him with all those files he sent last week; he still doesn’t know how you do it”

“Well, he’s restless” John winked at Sherlock and Mycroft made a disgusted face

“By the way, have you steered her?” Mycroft changed the subject to something less disgusting than his little brother’s sex life

“Not yet” Sherlock shook his head “But I was thinking on giving it a try tomorrow, on our way to Amsterdam”

“You know it’s almost a day away, won’t you rather use the plane?”

“It might be a good idea, it would give us one more day at Copenhagen, though I really want to steer her and if we leave tomorrow night we’ll be at Amsterdam in the early hours of the day after tomorrow. I’ll take the plane to go to Prague, and I’ll take the boat back when we arrive to Barcelona. And I’ll send it back to England for your honeymoon… Unless…” He looked at John and John nodded

“Unless?” Mycroft looked at them

“Unless you want our house in Vienna; or the flat in New York… Your choice”

“It’ll all depend on the time Gregory has, but I’ll take you on either offer for Christmas, if that’s alright”

“Of course” Sherlock shrugged “Whatever you chose is fine with us”

“What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“We’re taking Bell to the zoo, after that we’re going to the naval museum; and I have prepared a surprise for John, but we’ll be back by six to bathe Bell and gave her dinner, after that I’ll take John for his surprise. What time are you leaving?”

“I was thinking about sticking around for a couple more days, if you don’t mind”

“Care to join us tomorrow?” Sherlock looked at his suit clad brother

“Sure. I’ll love spending the day with my niece”

“You’ll have to wear something less… conspicuous”

“Don’t worry, little brother; I have something that would help me blend in” Mycroft smiled “I see dinner is ready. Join me?”

“We’ve eaten already but we can join you with some table-talk” John sat across from Mycroft and pulled Sherlock to his side. They talked for a while until John yawned and patted Sherlock on the knee “I’ll be waiting” He gave Sherlock a quick kiss “See you tomorrow Myc” He waved goodbye to his brother in law


	68. Following Greg’s advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I have nothing…” John put his hand over Sherlock’s lips  
> “Just say it, please?” John asked again  
> “Of course I forgive you” Sherlock kissed John “I forgive you for whatever” He hugged John close and hid his face in his neck, breathing him in  
> “Thank you” John relaxed and nuzzled Sherlock’s hair, breathing his scent

Mycroft and Sherlock talked the night away; they headed to the wheel house after a while and they both steered the boat for a couple of hours. The talked and shared a scotch, Mycroft talking about London and a few cases he wanted to hand Sherlock, and Sherlock talking about the cases he had solved while away and the countries visited

“He’s having nightmares again” Sherlock sighed, looking away at the horizon

“PTSD again?” Mycroft scowled

“Something of the sort” He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair “He’s blending nightmares” he steepled his fingers under his chin “I don’t know what to do” Sherlock shook his head, not changing the position of his hands, closing his eyes “I know you might not like what I’m going to tell you, but…” Sherlock breathed out “Unless we have sex, he won’t relax and wont sleep, If I’m not by his side he’ll have a terrible nightmare and…” he bit his lower lip “the other night he attacked me, I tried to wake him and he almost killed me… he’s been worried since, he can’t fall asleep, and I have to be there until he wakes, or else he’ll be restless the entire day”

“He should call Ella. She’s not a great therapist, but she’s his therapist; he might need to say his fears out loud, perhaps he needs a friend…” Mycroft patted his brother’s shoulder “Just a friend…” Mycroft could see the pain in his brother’s eyes “Not his best friend”

“Maybe you’re right” Sherlock hid his face behind his hands “Maybe he needs time away from me… Maybe…” He could feel his eyes filling with tears “Maybe I’m not enough for him…”

“And maybe, you should come to bed and be with me, talk to me and tell me that you’re worried” John was standing at the wheel house door, looking at his husband, his arms crossed over his chest and a sad look in his eyes.

“And, maybe, that’s my cue to leave” Mycroft nodded at his brother and waved a quick goodbye to John

“I’m sorry John; I’m sorry it took me so long, but I needed to talk to my brother for a while” Sherlock apologised, looking down at a spot on the floor

“Why are you apologising?” John reached for Sherlock but pulled his hand back and let it fall to his side

“I know you can’t sleep without me” Sherlock kept on looking down the floor

“It’s not that I can’t; it’s more that I don’t want to sleep without you” This time John reached for Sherlock “I don’t ever want to sleep without you by my side, I don’t want time away from you, because you’re everything for me” He slid his hand in Sherlock’s and entwined their fingers “You are more than I ever asked for, than I ever deserved” John kissed Sherlock’s hand

“But…” Sherlock tried but John stopped him with his fingers over his lips and Sherlock kissed them

“Maybe I need to talk to someone, I think Mycroft is right and I should ask for help. I don’t want to worry you; that’s why I find it hard to share some things with you; perhaps I do need another friend to talk to” John caressed Sherlock’s cheekbone and squeezed his hand, looking intently at him and licking his lips

Sherlock inched closer and kissed him softly on the lips “You should call Greg, or Mike, maybe even James… I don’t know…” Sherlock leaned in and rested his forehead on John’s

“I’ll call Greg as soon as we hit land, in the mean time you can talk to your bother, walk around with Bell at the zoo” John put his arms around Sherlock’s waist and hugged him close, resting his head on his chest and felling Sherlock’s arms wrap him in a tight embrace, feeling secure immediately

“We should go to bed, you need to sleep my love” Sherlock kissed John’s forehead and led him to the gallery. In a few seconds they had reached their bedroom, Sherlock used the loo quickly and was next to John in a few minutes. The morning found them well rested, no nightmares had disturbed John’s sleep and he looked calmer

They left the yacht and Charlie, their guide, was waiting for them at the cabin. They headed straight to the zoo and Sherlock took Bell to the tiger encasement, leaving John slightly behind so he could call Greg

“Hi mate” John greeted “Are you busy?”

“No, just some paperwork” Greg answered “You okay?”

“Not really” John sighed

“Lay it on me, mate” Greg shifted and John could hear him closing the door to his office

“Nightmares, again” John let out a deep breath

“Afghanistan or the fall?”

“Something combined…”

“I’m all ears, mate”

“Well…” John told Greg all about his nightmare, his attack on Sherlock, Sherlock’s attack on him, the way he felt, the conversation he’d had with Sherlock two nights ago, the conversation Sherlock had with his brother, the way he felt about hurting Sherlock, how Sherlock looked at him after the attack, everything. He felt relieved after talking to Greg, but he still needed to hear some advice

“I think you need to trust him more, mate” Greg sighed “He’s your best mate after all” He laughed “He’s a though sod so he can take it, and you need to lay on him your worries, after all, that’s what you vowed; or is it that you haven’t forgiven him at all?”

“Of course I forgave him!”

“Have you told him that?”

“Yes, we talked about it, and I felt… light, for the first time in a long time”

“Then do it again, reflect about it and tell him”

“But you should see his eyes…”

“I can only imagine those Holmesian puppy eyes, but you have to lay it all on him, mate, or else…”

“I know… Thank you…”

“I’m here for you; as soon as we see each other we can go grab a pint and talk some more, in the meantime, call me whenever”

“Thanks mate, really”

“Don’t worry about it… By the way, tell my dick of a boyfriend that if he wants to be my dick of a husband he must come back soon, or else…” Greg huffed

“Don’t worry mate…” John chuckled “I’ll let him know. Goodbye Greg… Thanks again”

“Bye John. Call me soon” Greg ended the call

John reached his family at the restaurant, and sat next to Sherlock, a smile on his face. Sherlock relaxed at the sight and breathed out, smiling back at John

“I missed you!” John kissed Sherlock and leaned his head on his shoulder “By the way” He looked at Mycroft “He said that you have to go back to London, unless you want to find yourself Greg-less in the next twenty four hours” Mycroft bolted up and reached for his mobile, calling Greg immediately

“How are you feeling?” Sherlock passed his fingers through John’s hair and rubbed the back of his neck

“Like the luckiest sod in the world” He kissed Sherlock “I’m sorry I acted the way I did” John looked in Sherlock’s eyes “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to handle what I have to say and share with you” He gave him another kiss “I’m sorry I couldn’t muster up enough courage to tell you the way I feel” Sherlock smiled a bit sadly “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you’re not enough for me when you’re my life, my love, my reason to be” John grabbed Sherlock’s face with both his hands “You know I forgive you for what happened when you had to leave” Sherlock nodded “Well, in case you doubt it, I do, I forgive you, not only because I love you, but because that shows me how much you love me, and I feel so lucky…” He passed his fingers through Sherlock’s hair “I love you, so much, and I know we’re growing stronger, sometimes I fear that you might get tired of me, that I might bore you at some point; I wonder why you love me so much, and then I see those scars and I feel guilty…” He scratched Sherlock’s neck softly, playing with the curls on his nape.

“You shouldn’t…” Sherlock tried but John kissed him

“I know I shouldn’t. I know it was your choice and I thank you for that, I thank you for loving me so much that you’re willing to die to see me happy, but I need you to understand that you’re my happiness, that I could never be happy if you’re not by my side” John’s hand slid down Sherlock’s neck and rested it on his chest, right over the scar that Mary put there “Every little scar makes you, every single one of them, and they make you perfect, perfect for me, they make you mine” He gave him another kiss “I love you, and I think that all I need to know that you’re staying is to hear that you forgive me for everything” He looked at him intently “Please?”

“But I have nothing…” John put his hand over Sherlock’s lips

“Just say it, please?” John asked again

“Of course I forgive you” Sherlock kissed John “I forgive you for whatever” He hugged John close and hid his face in his neck, breathing him in

“Thank you” John relaxed and nuzzled Sherlock’s hair, breathing his scent “What’s our next stop?”

“The naval museum” Sherlock answered and looked over John’s shoulder to see his brother still on his phone, looking rightfully reprimanded and regretful

“Let’s go then” John pulled him up and hugged him one last time, before sliding his hand in Sherlock’s and entwining their fingers. They both picked Bell up and she snuggled closer to her Daddy Sher’s chest and fell asleep fast. Sherlock nuzzled her neck and John put her hand on her back, rubbing small and comforting circles

They pushed Mycroft out the zoo, he was still on his phone, and they could hear Greg yelling at him seven ways to Sunday. Mycroft remained silent muttering a yes or a no every now and then; and a sorry every few seconds.

By the time they reached the naval museum, Mycroft had finished the call but he looked devastated

“Did he…?” Sherlock looked at his brother

“No…” Mycroft looked down “But now I have to take time off to taste cakes and go with Mummy to the opera… and you know how they get…” Mycroft rolled his eyes “He booked me for an entire month of all the plays he could find as punishment…” Mycroft wanted to die

“Oh, brother…” Sherlock guffawed “I have an idea. As soon as you arrive, you can send Mummy and Father on a trip; give them the yacht to navigate from Amsterdam to Spain, from there I can take care of Mummy for a while, she can be with Bell and stay with us… John loves them, and I know he would agree with me if I ask him about it”

“Really?”

“Anything, big brother” Sherlock smirked “John?” John looked at them “Would you like to share a few days with my parents?” John nodded and smiled happily at them “To give them a rest” He winked at John and John winked back

After the museum, Mycroft offered to stay with Bell and Sherlock accepted, they went back to the yacht and shared a quick shower, before Sherlock took John to the jazz concert. The moment they arrived, John looked at Sherlock and kissed him deeply, feeling utterly happy that he’ll have time alone to share with Sherlock and that they could be able to talk

They enjoyed the music; John used the buzz the alcohol gave him to talk to Sherlock, confessing his every fear, his every need, his every want, and Sherlock looked at him with interest, patting his knee, or his shoulder. John had a few more drinks than needed, and Sherlock knew that this was exactly what John needed, a night out with a friend, sharing a few drinks, talking about what John needed to talk.

The moment they arrived to their boat, John was flirting shamelessly with Sherlock, like he always did when he was a bit more drunk than needed. He was a handful, but Sherlock managed to put him in bed and hear him say that he was about to have his world rocked. Sherlock gave him a kiss on the cheek and watched him drift off as soon as he hit the pillow. Sherlock hugged him close to his chest and he too was soon asleep.

The next morning, John was up before Sherlock, he brushed his teeth quickly, had a paracetamol and enough water to kill his hangover, He returned to bed and hugged his husband close, enjoying the heat from Sherlock’s body.

They spent the day at the sun deck, Sherlock taught John how to sail and they played with Bell for a while. Before they went to bed again, Sherlock had given John enough lessons on navigating that he was confident enough to steer for a couple of hours. Once back in bed, Sherlock looked for a movie and snuggled closer to his husband, enjoying the sound of the ocean over the bullets that flew at one of the Bonds that was on scene.


	69. The Netherlands, red lights, brothels, brownies and the end of Victor Geiger June 1st to June 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I love you without knowing how or when or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way…”
> 
> “…than this, where I do not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep*”

They arrived to Amsterdam in the afternoon, and Sherlock treated John with a nice dinner, just the two of them, while Tim took care of Bell

“Our room will be ready in the morning” Sherlock fed John a strawberry

“Mm” John licked Sherlock’s fingers “Which hotel?”

“The Grand” Sherlock shivered “Near the canal… You’re going to love it” Sherlock licked his strawberry stained lips

“I’ll like it… I love you” John leaned in close and kissed him

“I love you” Sherlock returned the kiss

“I’m going to miss this” John sighed

“Me too… But I promised Mycroft I would help him… Mummy is driving him to the walls, much like she did with us, but this time they have it worst because she’s invited the Queen to the event” Sherlock shook his head

“Your poor brother” John chuckled “All right… I guess Bell will be glad to share some time with her own Mamie”

“I’ll call her tomorrow and see if I can rid Mycroft from her”

“Rid? Sherlock…”

“Fine… I’ll call her tomorrow and see what I can do to spend time with my mum”

“Much better” John patted Sherlock’s cheek playfully “Now, off to bed with you” He pulled Sherlock’s hand and led him to their room

Like almost every morning, Bell was ready to be fed by seven, but unlike other times, she now had “a big girl’s bed” and was free to wander around her room and her parents’. She climbed in bed behind Daddy Sherlock; turned the telly on and relaxed beside him, a few minutes later Sherlock woke first and looked over to his other side, finding a wide awake Bell next to him. He moved softly, trying his best not to disturb his sleeping husband and used his free hand to hug her; he lay on his back and sat her on his stomach, while talking to her in French, congratulating her for being a big girl and asking her to stay silent to allow Daddy John to sleep more. She rested on her Daddy Sherlock’s chest and watched telly for a while before laying a hand on Daddy John’s face and rubbing his nose softly.

John’s eyes fluttered open and the sight in front of him made his heart jump. Sherlock was holding Bell, his eyes closed, a hand rested on her back, rubbing small circles; the other one holding John firmly by the waist, he looked younger somehow, and more beautiful than John had ever seen him; he was relaxed, no dark circles or crinkles under his eyes, no lines on his forehead; he was peaceful ‘So beautiful’ John thought and reached to graze Sherlock’s face with his fingertips

“Good morning, gorgeous” He lifted his head and kissed him on the cheek “Good morning beautiful” He rubbed Bell’s head

“Morning my love” Sherlock turned his face and kissed him on the lips “She’s been watching telly for at least half an hour. Now that she has a bar-free bed she’s been wandering about”

“She’s a big girl now” John petted her again “When should we tell her about the b-a-b-y?”

“London… She’ll be able to watch it on screen… having visuals might help her get excited to meet it…”

“By then we might now what we’re having”

“Exactly. It’ll be easier, I hope, explaining a little brother or sister to her instead of a… thing… floating in something black…”

“Well, you’re right about that… but he’s not a thing… is our son…” John tapped Sherlock’s lips with his finger

“And what if IT is another girl?” Sherlock glared at John

“Then is not an IT, is our baby girl” John ascolded “Now, we need breakfast” John looked for his pants but they were near the door “I’m grabbing your shirt babe” Sherlock nodded “I’ll get your dressing gown so you can get out of bed” He went to the bathroom trying to cover his lower half as best as he could

“Don’t cover yourself” Sherlock moved his head to the side to catch a glimpse of John’s bare arse “She’s distracted” Sherlock winked and John lifted the shirt showing Sherlock his bare arse for a second before hiding in the bathroom “I love you” Sherlock smiled and placed Bell next to him, the girl too distracted watching her cartoons to even noticing anything that was going on around her. He left her in bed and went to the bathroom to his husband “They’ll be waiting for us at three in the afternoon, so we have time to visit the FOAM; we can have lunch near the hotel and then we can take Bell to the Greenbox. We have a lot of things to visit here… I’m sure you’re going to enjoy Amsterdam even more than you enjoyed Paris”

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll enjoy everything” John gave him a smile “When is your mum coming?”

“She’s already at The Grand” Sherlock turned the shower on, he was in dire need of a shower “They’ll be taking care of Bell the entire week” He went in the shower “Join me?” John nodded and climbed in

After their shower they were ready to visit the FOAM; Sherlock knew all about John’s love for photography and their first mandatory stop was the most famous museum of photography in Amsterdam. John’s eyes lit up the moment he entered; Sherlock had managed to get one of the artists to give John a special tour. He sat with his daughter for a while, playing with her and watching his John enjoy the especial treat. John’s eyes danced from picture to picture and the man explained to him every little detail, from the light to the exposure time, the intention and directionality and discussed with John photography techniques; every once and again, John would glance over at Sherlock and look at him with love

They left the FOAM and John immediately held Sherlock close to him “I love you” John kissed him repeatedly and Sherlock allowed him, enjoying the rain of kisses he was receiving.

“The Greenbox is waiting for us” Sherlock pulled John to his side and walked to the next museum “We have several places to be, and Mummy will be taking care of Bell for the next couple of weeks, she and Father are glad to help us, especially now that we’ll be going to the Czech Republic next week”

“And lunch?”

“Right. We can go to the hotel and eat, then leave to the Greenbox”

“Sounds like a plan” John slid his hand in Sherlock’s and entwined their fingers, they started walking; as soon as they arrived to the hotel Violet was waiting for them, lunch ready and two grandparents eager to see their granddaughter.

“We have a surprise for you” Sherlock handed Violet the ultrasound picture. Violet’s eyes filled with tears and looked up at her son

“Yours?” Her voice trembled slightly. They both nodded “Both?” They grinned “Oh, Siger, look at this” She handed the sonogram to her husband

“Ours?” Siger put an arm around his wife’s shoulders, and she leaned into him, both holding the picture of the small bean “He’s still a bean” Siger pointed

“He?” They both asked

“I’m sure he’s a boy, little William Hamish” Siger pointed at the bean and scratched it, John and Sherlock looked at each other and shook their heads, rolling their eyes and sighing “Don’t roll your eyes at me young men” Siger chastised “I knew you were a boy from the moment your mother told me she was pregnant”

“He did” Violet nodded and smiled at her husband “I thought you were a girl and I was already planning on calling you Elizabeth, I even bought a dress for you and I kept on dreaming about my little Elizabeth”

“And I immediately knew you were my little Lokie” Siger looked again at the sonogram “Your mum choose William and your Mamie choose Scott. The same way she choose George, saying that it was time to forget old family names… though mine was imposed by my father, Sherrinford the third; your mother’s is a family name too, we’re the only ones to use Violet, for others, she’s just Professor Holmes, Marianne Louise Violet… A mouthful” Violet chuckled and smiled up at her husband and gave him a quick peck

“We have a lot of places to visit” Sherlock said leaving the table and pulling John by the hand, trying to run as fast as he could away from his parents “Thank you for doing this Mummy” He kissed her on the cheek “Dad” He hugged his father and patted his back, hiding his face and his pink ears

They left to the Greenbox and while they walked in the small museum they planned their next week. Every single detail was planned, including a night out, as friends, to share a pint and talk.

“So tomorrow we’ll be going to The Tropenmuseum and the Amsterdam museum. We’re taking a day for the Hermitage and the day after we’re dedicating for the great artists, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and The Rijksmuseum” Sherlock checked his list and John nodded

“We’ll have a day with Bell, right?” Sherlock nodded

“We’ll be taking her to the Zoo, the NEMO and the Chimpie Champ”

“Chimpie Champ?” John quirked his brow, trying to hide his smirk, but he couldn’t help but snort at the name

“A huge playground and we can go there after the NEMO” Sherlock rolled his eyes fondly at his husband

“And with your parents?”

“We could go to the beach, but I’m thinking that Madame Tussauds’ museum is best; she’s a sucker for wax figures… Even Bell will enjoy a day at the wax museum” Sherlock ticked his list

“So, we have our entire week planned. That’s wonderful”

“By the way, Mummy booked a spa afternoon for us; she’ll put Bell to bed so we can have a night out”

“But most of our nights are nights out” John stuck his tongue out and bit it, grinning at Sherlock

“I know… but she doesn’t so if she wants to take care of Bell…” Sherlock shrugged

“Yes, we should enjoy it while we can, soon we’ll be four and nights will be long…”

“It’ll be great!” Sherlock hugged John and kissed him

“It’ll be perfect” John hugged him back “Shall we continue?” Sherlock nodded and held his hand, leading him through the museum.

The next few days went by in a daze, one museum after the other, the one they enjoyed the most was The Rijksmuseum, Sherlock indulging in his secret love of the arts. But Sherlock knew that he owed John a conversation about his time in Amsterdam. He had planned the entire week, and after their “only friends” night, Sherlock planned on taking John to all the places he had stayed while he was in Amsterdam

He took him on a tour of the red lights district and pointed to the place he had to stay for a few nights, while he followed one of Moriarty’s men “He was in charge of some of the brothels in the district and he was “importing” minors from Thailand and Japan. I’d been following him since Thailand and finally had the lead, his name and face, his contacts and some useful information” Sherlock pointed to a brothel that belonged to Moriarty “I had to stay here” He pointed to a two story house  “For about a week before Nikka came to help me, Jacques was already here. I was sick, I’d been in Croatia for two weeks and had to stay on the streets; it was raining, it was the end of summer…” Sherlock looked out the window of the café they were at, right at the house he had to stay

“And your pneumonia was awful again…” John closed his eyes

“Yes. Since I had to spend a time on that basement in New York at the beginning of winter, I had been under the weather since my return, I had no way of getting better other than staying indoors; and my brother sent Jacques here to take care of me. He also hired a nurse and a doctor, and I had to stay in the room for almost a week, an IV connected to my arm for the entire time I was locked up” John closed his eyes, remembering the many times Sherlock had been connected to machines “I was feeling better by the end of the week; I had time to look at the guy during the time I was on lock down. I had his schedule, I had managed to identify several of his contacts, and both Jacques and Nikka helped me watch him; they called Sergei and Andrei to help and capture the men, and when we had him cornered I intervened; I needed information about the men in Bosnia, and he was the one that could help me”

“You interrogated him, how?”

“Don’t worry, John” Sherlock looked at him with those vulnerable eyes that made John want to hold him and never let go “After what happened in Italy… I could never…” He closed his eyes, his hands trembled and John held them even tighter “I didn’t torture him; I just used the information I had to get even more information, I did kill people, but I had to do it…” Sherlock had his eyes closed, he remembered exactly how many men he had killed, and how he had killed them

“I know you didn’t torture anybody else, you told me, and I wouldn’t care if you did, many of them deserved to be…” John sighed “God… some deserved their balls cut off” He rubbed his face “What happened when you got to him?”

“I manipulated him, I hired a girl and apparently she was his favourite, so I… abducted… her…” Sherlock looked down “She’s fine, back with her parents in Thailand, she was used as a mule and after a while she was kept here as a prostitute; she was “legal” but she was actually being kept as a hostage, she would return to her parents as soon as they could pay her tickets and her immigration documents, a scam of course”

“How old was she?”

“Fourteen”

“God…”

“Yeah… Her documents said she was nineteen”

“After that…. What…?”

“He went to look for us, because I sent him notes telling him everything I knew and that if he wouldn’t give the information I needed I would kill her; so in a way I did torture him…”

“He was killing her, you saved her. You didn’t torture him, you rescued her”

“I had to kill him in the end. He came looking for Mali, that’s her name, and he punched me a few times, he came with a knife and tried to stab me on the chest, we fought and I…” Sherlock let out a shaky breath “I slid his throat”

“Self-defence”

“Yes. It was his throat or mine…”

“What happened after that?”

“Jacques and Sergei came in and helped get him off me. I was too… shook up. The moment they saw me covered in blood, Jacques immediately called an ambulance, but was relieved when he saw that most of the blood wasn’t mine; I just had a cut over my palm” Sherlock showed John a fading scar “They tested me and I was clear… his blood didn’t touch mine” Sherlock breathed deeply “A few of his men came barging in, Jacques tossed a gun to me and I fired, I shot two of them, one leg and one shoulder; clean shots to arteries and they bled out in seconds”

“How long where you in hospital?”

“Two days… They didn’t want me to leave the hospital, but I had to go. I escaped the hospital and Jacques and Sergei followed me to Bosnia. Jacques helped me leave, and for the rest of the world, once again, I had died during the night; they faked some papers and Victor Geiger was gone… It was the only way to distract some of Moriarty’s men, and also get away from Moran…” ‘And Maupertuis…”

“You died many times…”

“I had too, and by that point I was so tired… All I wanted was to come home, to you…”

“And I’m so glad you did. I not only forgive you for leaving, but I thank you for coming back, for fighting for me” John knew Sherlock needed to hear him say he was forgiven, at least once a week, to avoid him having an episode or nightmares “I’m so glad you came back for us, that you fought for this wonderful life we have now”

“I love you, John, and the love I feel for you is what kept me going; it was like fire in my veins, an energy that kept me going, thinking of you, your eyes, your voice… your smile…” Sherlock leaned in and rested his forehead on John’s

“I love you… No one has ever called me fire…” He blushed

“You’re the life of me John Watson, without you, I don’t exist”

“I feel exactly the same. Without you I’m just… nothing… You’re air” John kissed his lips and Sherlock returned it

“Thank you for not letting go of my hand”

“Never”

“I love you without knowing how or when or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way…” Sherlock started reciting

“…than this, where I do not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep*” John finished, pulling Sherlock’s hand to his chest and holding it in place with both his hands

“You learnt it!” Sherlock’s eyes brightened

“You read it to me every night” John shook his head, smiling all the time “I hear you, in my dreams, and I know…”

“Thank you” Sherlock breathed out

“Ready to go?”

“Yes. I have one last thing to show you, but we just have to walk a few blocks”

They ended up at another small café where Sherlock had made a couple of friends; John frowned but followed in; it was “one of those coffee shops” meaning they sold marihuana and hash, like in other two hundred and fifty or so establishments around Amsterdam.

“I don’t do marihuana, John” Sherlock gave John the -I know I’m an addict, but please, not now- look “It numbs my senses”

“I didn’t say anything” John looked away

“You were thinking it”

“I’m sorry love”

“It’s okay” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “Besides, I brought you here for the brownies, they make the best in town, and their tea it’s almost as perfect as the one Hudders’ makes”

“Better than mine?”

“No one makes tea better than you, John” Sherlock rolled his eyes at his husband “but that’s not the point” Sherlock gave him a kiss “Jacques used to buy brownies and tea from here and he would give them to me. It was the only thing I could eat for a while without feeling sick; it took me some time to eat full meals again” Sherlock eyed the brownies and the owner recognised him

“MAYA?” The man called “WILLIAM’S HERE!” He shouted excitedly, going to the back of the store

“William?” John looked at his husband with suspicious eyes and Sherlock just put a finger to his lips to keep him quiet

“What are you yelling about Fonse?” A short slender woman, with hazel eyes and dark brown hair came from the other side, but she was rendered speechless the moment she saw Sherlock and jumped to his arms “Hi, dear friend” She kissed him on both cheeks “How are you? You look great!”

“Hi Maya” He returned the kisses “How are you? How’s Fonse”

“I’m great, he’s great. I can’t believe you’re here” She was excited, patting him all over as to make sure he was there

“Hi Will!” Fonse, a tall man, blonde haired and blue eyed greeted him with a hug and a wide smile     

“Uh…” John cleared his throat

“Sorry, yes… Maya, Fonse, Let me introduce you to my husband, John”

“John! The John?” John blushed and looked down “It’s so great to finally meet you. Will never shut up about you! John would do this; he would say that, he would help this way…” Maya greeted John “He would sit at the window for hours and talk about his friend John and how he was ready to go home and ask him to be together” 

“The window?” John looked at her, quirking a brow in question

“Yes” Maya nodded “I was his nurse. His friend Joseph used to buy brownies here every afternoon; thanks to them I met Alfonse and now we’re living together”

“Congratulations!” Sherlock smiled at them

“He also helped us to get rid of that man” Fonse patted Sherlock’s arm “He would come to the store and get all the money, and if I didn’t pay…” He scratched the back of his neck

“You mean…” John looked up at Sherlock and he just nodded “The man that you…”

“Yes” Sherlock interrupted him “The one I sent to jail while I was on recovery from the… accident”

“Yeah… the accident” John glanced at him

“So, tell us your story” Fonse could feel the tension “So we could tell you ours” He nudged Sherlock

Sherlock started talking and told them all about the two years he had to be away from John, the reason behind it, his complete name and how he had managed to get back to John at the end of two tortuous years; John told them all about the day they met, what had happened the two years Sherlock was away, his marriage, their daughter and their new baby, they told them all about their wedding and the day Bell arrived to their lives.

They talked the afternoon out, John finally relaxing and Sherlock being himself. The spell was broken by a call. Their plane was ready for them and all they had to do was be at the airport at any time. Sherlock left his friends and their shop with a load of brownies and tea for the road, and the promise to come back with more time and chat another afternoon away, but this time with their kids.       

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Sonnet XVII Pablo Neruda


	70. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson June 12th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another case

**The triplet revenge (** ask Sherlock as soon as he has the time)

I arrived to Prague in the early hours of the morning. Sherlock was waiting for me at the tarmac, ready to start with the case. He handed me several files and I could see why he needed my expertise in this particular case. The murdered had a set of special skills that made him particularly difficult to catch, but for one doctor to identify another should be easier.

Each doctor has a signature cut, particularly amongst us surgeons, a little more force while holding the scalpel, more pressure while making the cut, a slight inclination to the right or the left, it all depends on the university we learnt our skills, the teacher that was in charge of teaching us this particular set of skills, the instruments we choose, even our history is behind our cuts.

But this case was particularly difficult, as I mentioned it before, because we had three suspects with a similar set of skill, three brothers, triplets, identical in every way, even in their ability to cut a body with the same markings and hand pressure. Unfortunately for us, the evidence pointed at the three of them, and the brothers had apparently come to an agreement for the three of them to be either accused or be set free, all three denying their involvement in the gruesome crimes they were the prime suspects.

Sherlock spent the entire week studying the pictures of the crime scenes; his Mind Palace and his room filled with images of the many patients the three doctors had operated, searching for differences in their techniques and finding none; that’s when he contacted me and asked to come to Prague as soon as possible, before another person would be killed.

I helped Sherlock check the pictures of the first crime scene, it looked like a simple one, but many things were out of place. The man had made a clean cut to the femoral artery and the victim would have bled out in less than a minute; the cut was intentional but there was no arterial spread, meaning that the cut was controlled and thought through; the blood was cleaned and the room was otherwise cleaner than it should had been for a man bleeding in such a way.

Upon furthers examination of the pictures of the body, we found evidence of a cannula being used to control the bleeding and drain the blood slowly from the body; which meant that the killer took his time bleeding the man out. A few stitches were made to hold the cannula in place, and as soon as the man died, it was retired with the same expertise, not leaving a single trace of blood on the floor, and much less in the body; the cut was small, but large enough to allow the murdered to place the cannula in the body and bled his victim to death.

Sherlock asked for pictures of the body and the medical examiner handed a full set to him, thanks to the thoroughness of this particular doctor, and his relationship with the victim, we were able to find a small puncture under his aorta and Sherlock was able to determine the victim was drugged with succinylcholine, enough to keep the victim alive, intubated for less than five minutes and breathing on their own by the moment they could move again; by the time the man was awake, he was being held in a bed by medical straps and he bled out in a different place away from his home.

Sherlock found evidence that he was strapped to bed in the markings the man had in his wrists and ankles, ligature marks made by the straps used to hold him in place were also found on his thigs and waist. According to Sherlock, it must have taken the man at least four days to die; in the meantime, another victim was abducted and killed in the same fashion, but this time the killer cut her axillary artery and bled her out in another four days: The first corpse was “dumped” at the victim’s house, not a single drop of blood in his body, and he was left in his sitting room, sitting on the sofa, fully dressed and no evidence whatsoever of what had happened to him except the cut on his leg that was discovered after the medical examiner searched the body.

The second victim was found in her dining room, sitting on a chair and once again, not a single drop of blood on the house or her. The police was baffled, it was the second victim in less than four days that had appeared that way, and two more went missing. In trying to find a connection between the victims, Sherlock stumbled upon and old acquaintance of him that pointed that three of the four victims belonged to the Charles University Medical School staff and that they had been reported missing by the fourth victim.

The first victim, a professor, had been in charge of teaching surgery to fourth years, meaning that he had approximately two hundred students in his class. After a couple of interviews with several of his students, Sherlock was able to identify seventeen suspects, discarding immediately five female, two male and six foreign students that didn’t speak enough Czechs to communicate outside the school. The remaining four were the main suspects, and Sherlock set upon interrogating them, he looked for the first of the list and found out that he was the fourth victim; he was the one that had reported his teachers as missing persons, and apparently had a problematic relationship with the other three suspects

To our surprise, the three other suspects were related, identical triplets, and the three of them had a very public fight with the six victims at some point. Sherlock interrogated them, and he couldn’t find enough evidence to convict either three of them, even though he was convinced that at least one of them was the murderer we were looking for.

By the time the fourth victim was found, a fifth one had disappeared; fortunately for us, the murderer made a mistake and one of the siblings was immediately taken off the list of suspects. The brother in question left Prague for a couple of days, the night before the fifth victim disappeared, providing him with a strong enough alibi to be considered innocent.

The three suspects, now two, were specialising in the same, vascular surgery, and the three of them had a very public row with their professor, but two of the triplets had motive to kill him after a test gone wrong and a mistake made about their names and grades. The second victim, the faculty secretary was killed in the same way, and the three of them had a problem with her, because she made a mistake with their names too and had the three of them fail a seminar because she had no idea who was inscribed in it. The third victim, a nurse at the hospital they practised confused their schedules and used to call the wrong triplet to work. The fourth victim, a fellow student, had confused them and accused the three of them of cheating, each in a different occasion. The fifth victim, the murderer’s girlfriend, was used as a decoy to frame the other two brothers, the sixth victim, the girlfriend of the second sibling was another decoy, and everything pointed to the first born as the guilty party.

Sherlock interviewed the two remaining brothers, they both had strong alibis, but Sherlock noticed something during the interview of the third brother that set all his alarms. He mentioned a fact that hadn’t made it to the press, how the victims were found. The press had always assumed that the houses were the primary crime scenes, but the third brother mentioned that there was no evidence of him being at any of the houses and at the crime scene.

We followed him and found a sixth victim that was being exsanguinated at the moment; Sherlock called an ambulance and the local police to assist us both in helping the victim and following the perpetrator. The police team found evidence of the other murders and issued an arrest warrant for the third brother. He hid well for a couple of days, he tried to confuse us by disguising himself as his brothers, but Sherlock had noticed small differences between them that made them clearly different, even though they looked alike in every single way; a single birth mark, millimetres apart, on the left hand, and Sherlock knew the third brother was standing in front of us, pretending to be one of his brothers.

The police intervened immediately and arrested him; they had to take fingerprints and found several at the crime scene; the other two brothers were interrogated by Sherlock, and he cleared them shortly after. Once the interrogation began; the guilty brother claimed to have many reason to kill the people the way he did it; one of them being that they didn’t recognise him as an individual, he was treated as part of a group, as the third part of a whole.

He pretended to blame his brothers, adapting his abilities to that of his brothers, looking and talking like them; copying their actions and deceiving his victims by impersonating his brothers. According to him, his next step was to kill his brothers in the same way he had killed the other victims, thus becoming the one and only. Sherlock was very interested in understanding how everything had happened, and listened to every detail the man told him.

After the case, and the signing of enough paperwork to last a lifetime, we were headed back home; Sherlock was glad the case was over; mostly because he had to spend over a week trying to capture an elusive man that pretended to be three people at the same time.


	71. Czech Republic. Finding the guilty triplet June 7th to June 15th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Any suspects?”
> 
> “Yes, three brothers, triplets, but one of them has a locked alibi. He was out of town the day the fifth victim disappeared; that leaves us with only two other suspects. I’ve reviewed part of the information he sent within the files, and something is very wrong, especially with the crime scenes”

Like every morning, Sherlock was checking his email while he waited for his family to finish with breakfast. He had received another email from Milan, his contact at the Czechs Republic, telling him that a fourth victim was found exsanguinated and a fifth one had recently disappeared. He was needed in Prague as soon as possible, but he had promised to his mother to go to the flower market to get some tulip bulbs for their house in Sussex; John offered to go with her; but Violet was adamant on going with her son and Sherlock had to relent and be there with her.

“It’ll take only a few minutes, Sherlock” Violet hurried him to the market

“Yes, Mummy” Sherlock looked like a two years old that was being taken to the doctor

“Sherlock, I want to do this for my grandchildren. Once I go back to England, I’ll plant these bulbs to represent each of you, the pink ones for Bell, the yellow ones for John, the purple ones are for you and the orange ones for little Hamish” Sherlock smiled at his mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek “I want you to have something to remind you of this time, these few days we’ve had to share, and to represent your family” Violet insisted

“Thank you, Mummy” Sherlock gave her another kiss “I’m sure John will love them” He paid for the bulbs and seeds and bought a red tulip for his mother

“I booked the Aria” Violet continued chatting as they walked back to the hotel “The Mozart for you, the Beethoven for us. We can take Isabelle if you want” Sherlock shook his head “I know you have a case son” She gave him the -Mummy knows everything- look and Sherlock simply looked down.

“I do, Mummy; but I love her and I love spending time with her; I actually miss her when she’s not around, I enjoy bathing her, feeding her, I love our little routine, putting her to bed, playing for her, it gives John and I time to share as a family, create a bond with her. You should hear her giggle whenever John makes voices while he reads to her, or the way her little eyes lit up when she recognises a song I’m playing” Sherlock’s eyes were bright and filled with emotion as he talked about his daughter

“I know, son. You’re a father now!” She smiled up at him, looking at him with love and pride “Yesterday, your father read to her and she was excited about it; she’s very into The Treasure Island, but your father started reading The little Prince to her, in French, and she knew part of the story; she even chatted for a while with your father about it”

“I recited it to her while she was sick in Kiev. Martha was there for us, and John slept a lot, so all Bell and I had left to do was read and watch telly, and you know how I feel about telly, so I recited it to her” Sherlock explained

“No wonder” Violet smiled at his son “Either way; your father and I enjoy her very much; it’s a pleasure for us to be with her for at least a few days; would you allow us to stay with her, until the case is done?” She practically begged

“Yes Mummy, enjoy her, she’ll be little for such a short time…”

“Thank you dear” Violet patted her son’s arm and gave him a little push to go and hold his husband that was waiting for them at the entrance of the hotel

“Did you have fun?” John smiled at him and gave him a quick peck. Sherlock nodded and kissed him fully

“We have a case” Sherlock said to John’s lips

“I know” He smiled

“I’ve been working on it for about a week, but another victim was found yesterday and a fifth one just disappeared two days ago” He gave John the highlights

“Are they waiting for us?”

“Yup. Ariadna and Milan are waiting for us. Milan sent the latest victim files already, and with a fifth one gone, he wants us to fly there as soon as possible”

“Any suspects?”

“Yes, three brothers, triplets, but one of them has a locked alibi. He was out of town the day the fifth victim disappeared; that leaves us with only two other suspects. I’ve reviewed part of the information he sent within the files, and something is very wrong, especially with the crime scenes” Sherlock frowned

“Let me check them?” John asked and Sherlock handed him the computer and the pictures in them “I’ll check them on our way to the airport and let’s see if we can find who did it and how before we even land” John gave his husband the -my lovely genius- look and Sherlock accepted the challenge

During their flight time, Violet and Siger took care of Bell while her parents worked. Sherlock had sent an email to Milan asking for a list of suspects and for an interrogation room to interview the three of them, he also asked to talk to the medical examiner, because he knew the guy that had performed the autopsies

“Sam Cartwell, he’s an old acquaintance of mine” Sherlock explained to John “I met his at Uni, he had a few classes with me, and as I recall he was quite good at chemistry” He searched in his Mind Palace for the young man’s face “He’s currently working for the Prague Institute of Criminology as a consultant and he’s willing to help us”

“Is he a possible victim?” John asked, looking at the photos Cartwell had taken of the body

“No” Sherlock handed him another set of photographs “Professor Lukas Onderko was his friend” Sherlock explained “Apparently he was the one that helped him get the job with the local police force” He looked at Onderko’s file “This pictures he took of the body are very thorough”

“Yes. I can see the technique the murderer used to bleed the victim out. He placed a cannula over the femoral artery and the guy probably bled out in four days, more than bleed to death, he dripped to death” John pointed at the cut over the professor’s thigh “The murdered must be at least a fourth year medical student, and I think he’s specialising in vascular surgery, the cut is rather clean and he has a steady hand” John pointed to the stiches that probably held the cannula

“But you’re supposed to produce more blood if you’re bleeding” Sherlock visited his Mind Palace again trying to find out how he could have died in such a long time

“Yes, but only if the injury is closed and if you’re properly hydrated. Maybe he used a blood thinner, is there something about heparin or warfarin?”

“Yes, here, he used warfarin in all of them, that means he has access to this medication, and probably used a high dose of it”

“Probably, but I don’t see any puncture wounds” John checked the photos of the body again “Here!” He pointed at the neck of the first victim “Is there any evidence of succinylcholine?”

“Not that I know of” Sherlock looked at the blood works “But it’s of rapid effect, which means the Professor was alive and feeling everything while the murderer cut him, he probably was intubated to keep him alive while he bled out”

“That’s a possibility. Here” John pointed to the second victim’s neck. He used the same medication to paralyse her too” He looked at the pictures of her arm “And he cut her axillary artery, used the same technique and dripped her to death “All the victims were killed the same way” John looked at the two other victims’ photographs “He used a cannula in the subclavian artery here, and another in the iliac. He choose major arteries but not the aortic” 

“I have a picture of the brothers here. They are identical in every way” Sherlock flipped the pictures until he noticed something that made them different “See?” He showed John the pictures and his husband shook his head not knowing what he was talking about “They have a birthmark in their left hand, but they are different, see?” John nodded “We need finger prints, and we need to find the place where he’s exsanguinating them”

“We’ll find him, love”

“I think we have already, all I need to do is interview them. A fifth victim disappeared, so I guess they’re being followed already”

“When are we meeting your friends?”

“As soon as we arrive”

“How long do we have before we land?”

“Less than ten minutes” John gave a frustrated sigh “Don’t worry love; I’ll tell you everything before they do”

“Let’s solve the case first and then we can share a few tranquil days of our own” John gave him a sweet kiss

They landed and as predicted Ariadna and Milan were waiting for them. Milan handed Sherlock a few more files about the fifth victim and the brothers and they were headed to the police office before they even had time to say goodbye to their daughter. The three suspects were already at the station and Sherlock asked to interrogate them, being the first sibling Artur Konesky the first one.

After Sherlock interviewed him he realised he wasn’t guilty, by the time the fifth victim disappeared he was at Pilsen at a Medical Seminar, he checked his hands and looked for the birthmark, taking a few measurements and also fingerprints; he presented a witness, the person he had travelled with, and she made clear that they travelled alone, showing them train ticket stubs and hotel invoices. When he asked his brothers, they had no idea he had left Prague. Sherlock, being Sherlock, noticed the reaction the news had on Ferdinand, even for a brief second his breathing changed and his pulse skyrocketed

Sherlock then interviewed Emanuel, and he seemed guilty for a moment, or at least, he seemed to know how the victims were approached, until he gave his alibi, being at a seminar the entire afternoon; thanks to some CCTV footage, Sherlock could verify he was where he said he was. Some more CCTV footage provided by Mycroft, helped them identify Ferdinand, the third brother and the fifth victim, they were going to an old building, and he left alone after two hours, the CCTV footage of the following days showed him going in for two hours every day, but no signs of the girl he was with.

Ariadna and Milan were in charge of following him; in the meantime, Sherlock studied the victim’s homes and work places, in case he could find incriminating information to direct him to Ferdinand Konesky as the guilty party. He talked to Artur and Emil and they promised to help them capture Ferdiand; the information they gave about their finances and their houses was exactly what Sherlock needed to capture him.

With Ariadna and Milan in charge of the follow up, Sherlock had enough time to share with his family, and plan their time in Prague. Their first stop, he had made it a mandatory one to quench his music thirst. They visited the Bertamka, a museum about Mozart and his time in Prague while he composed Don Giovanni. While Bell played in the gardens, Sherlock took John to visit the rooms that Mozart had occupied and talked endlessly about the opera and that they should go a see it. John nodded all the time watching, fascinated, at his talented husband

Their next stop was, of course, the Beethoven Palace, even though it was but a plaque on a wall, John gave his husband exactly what he wanted and needed; time to walk around town and enjoy their time together, even though they couldn’t hold hands all the time. Their final stop of the day was Old Royal Palace and their old masters exhibition. The representative of the museum allowed them to stay for a late tour; Sherlock had helped them retrieve several pieces that went missing after the lost Vermeer fiasco and she owed him a large debt of gratitude. She was just one of the many that Sherlock had helped during his time in Prague

Out of respect for John, she remained silent as they walked along the exhibits; Sherlock looked at her once and she knew it was best to thank him and not give more details about what had happened, the look on John’s face was enough for her to understand that whatever happened, belonged to the two of them, and needed to be discussed in private.


	72. The end of the Golem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My Sherlock!” She hugged him and kissed both his cheeks “You look so great! I’m so glad to finally be able to see you” He returned the kisses and hugged her close “I was so scared when you left, and then you went under the radar… Oh God… I don’t think I’ll ever forget” She snuggled closer and enjoyed the warm embrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to post all the work I have from "Around the world in the next few days. From then on I'll be posting as soon as I end every chapter. Thanks for your patiente and your continued support. Love you all! Gaby

The next day, and even though Ariadna and Millan were still on stake out, trying to find the elusive Ferdinand Konesky, Sherlock had no other choice but to trust them and make time for his family. This time, they went to the zoo with Bell, and while she enjoyed the animals, Sherlock took John’s hand and walked him to an observation tower to have their talk

“I take it that the girl at the museum is one of the many you helped while you were here in Prague” John took Sherlock’s hand in his and sat next to him at the tower

“Yes, one of many” Sherlock let out a sigh “I arrived to Prague in July, the day before your birthday. I had just left Tuzla the night before and after a ten hour drive I arrived to Prague in the early hours of the morning. Milan was waiting for me at Josefov, also known as the Jewish quarter”

“Are we going there?”

“This afternoon”

“Okay” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand

“I had to stay at an old synagogue; Ariadna’s father is a rabbi and he helped me hide while I had to stay in Prague. I’ve been following the Golem and he was aware of my presence because I made a mistake while in Sarajevo; I was still a bit sick from my time in Croatia, though the infection had finally relented and my fever was gone, I still felt weak and sick; I could barely eat and my stay in Bosnia was more stressful than I ever imagined. I was being followed by several men from Moriarty’s network; one of them was Moran… I knew my life was in danger; that was the main reason I had to kill Victor Geiger in Amsterdam and after a while I simply became Zero, I no longer had a name or an identity, all my trips were made by car, and I couldn’t cross by any controlled borders”

“You had to become invisible…” John caressed Sherlock’s cheek softly, feeling him shiver slightly, more to the memory than the touch

“It was the safest way to move from one country to the other; part of my time in Bosnia was spent walking, much like my time in Paris and Germany; but this time I had to hide in woods, abandoned warehouses and cabins; I had to sleep in cars; from time to time Ariadna and Milan would come to help me with some food, a bath; it was summer, so I wasn’t as cold as I could have; my hair had grown quite a bit, I had a beard and looked really ragged; it was easier blend in” Sherlock ran a hand through his hair “The day I met Raquel, the lady at the museum, it was because in following the Golem I had found out he was one of the many men that were smuggling paintings to London; he had help from Miss Wenceslas, until I put her in jail, after her, another person was put in charge of the smuggling”

“And the Golem?” John’s face was one of concern, anger and pain

“He tried to kill me, but Milan was there, he shot him in the back, and when he went after Milan, I blew his brains out…” Sherlock closed his eyes, his hands trembling “Milan was badly injured, his leg was broken and Ariadna came for him before she met with me” Sherlock was shivering

“You were left alone?” Sherlock nodded and John tried to hold him, but there were too many people and they were looking at them

“While she was with Milan, Raquel helped me to get a car to take me to Ostrava, and from there I crossed the board to Cracow. Lara doesn’t know it but Mikhail was waiting for me on the other side and he drove me to Bialystok and from there, Paul drove me to Minsk”

“Paul?”

“Yes, he helped Jacques all the time; whenever I needed transport Paul was there, even though he never mentioned it; he was the one that drove me back from Minsk to Belgrade”

“Why big cities?”

“Is easier to get lost amongst the homeless in big cities than amongst the non-existent homeless in small towns”

“And the woods?”

“Not yet” Sherlock looked angry and distressed, too many people surrounding them at the moment, he was feeling uncomfortable and needed John to touch him, but John was aware of the looks they were getting and had to let go of Sherlock’s hand. John looked angry and distressed too, he needed the touch as much as Sherlock

“Yes… sorry” John glanced over his shoulder and could see his in-laws coming “They’re coming… Shall we go somewhere else?”

“Yes. Let’s spend some time with them and then I’ll take you to Josefov, maybe you can meet Ariadna’s father” John nodded and stood to greet his family.

They shared lunch and Sherlock took John to Josefov. He wanted for him to meet Ariadna’s father but he was out of town, so he was only able to take John to the synagogue, from there they went to the Old Town Square and Sherlock continued talking

“The Golem was hiding at Lesser Town; I followed him for over a week, getting information about his whereabouts, hiding at the Kampa Island in a small boat, until we both finally trapped each other near the river, he used his technique and tried to asphyxiate me, that is when Milan showed up and shot him. The Golem followed him and made him fall, breaking his leg; that’s when I shot him” In spite of the warm climate Sherlock was shivering and John knew it was time to go back to their hotel, he needed to provide Sherlock with a safe environment

“We can talk more at the hotel. Come love” John grabbed Sherlock’s arm and pushed him back to the hotel. Once in the safety of their room; Sherlock laid on top of John, holding his hand firmly and having John rest his hand on his hair

“After I killed the Golem, I let one of Moriarty’s men find me. The Golem’s death had them following me everywhere, and one of them captured me just outside Prague. Jacques and Paul had been following me and they saw them take me away to Tuklaty, a small location half hour away from Prague, to the east. While Jacques, Paul and Milan worked on getting every single man, I was being kept on a cellar”

“They tortured you?”

“Yes…” Sherlock sighed and John comforted him, stroking his head softly and carding his hair with his fingers “I was there for thirteen days”

“Thirteen days? Why so long?” John felt rage bubble in his stomach

“They had to capture every member of the ring”

“They kept on asking who I was, what I knew about Golem, about Wenceslas, about Sherlock Holmes and about John Watson”

“They asked you about me?”

“Yes, he would punch me every time I said I had no idea who you were. I only can assume that they wanted to know if I really was Sherlock Holmes so they could kill you; but for what I could gather from a few conversations they had in front of me, you were being kept safe by… her…”

“Her?”

“She was keeping you safe…”

“You mean?”

“Yes…” Sherlock’s breathing hitched with realisation; she indeed loved John, or more likely, was obsessed with him

“In the meantime she was making sure you wouldn’t return…”

“I don’t think that was what she wanted, yes, she was surprised when I did, but at the same time she knew I was the only one able to get her rid of Magnussen, and of Moriarty, of course. What she didn’t know was how much of a threat Moriarty was to you, and how much he wanted to hurt me using you… In the end, she did what she had to do from the beginning, help me to get rid of him…”

“So, in a way, she was making sure you would be detained long enough for me to fall for her?”

“Maybe, we need to ask her, but that is impossible now”

“What happened when they finished with all the men that were behind you?”

“When they finally went to look for me, they found me chained to a wall and the man that was torturing me couldn’t stand a chance… Ariadna killed him with malice; she emptied her gun on him, hitting kneecaps, elbows, calves, not a single bullet grazed a major artery or organ, she simply enjoyed seeing him bleed out while she held him to the floor and watched him contort… I asked her why and she said she had seen my back, and that Lara told her all about me being protective, apparently they all told them about me, described me, and she was furious…”

“I have to give her a huge kiss; she did what I would have wanted to do” John huffed

“She stayed with me in hospital for the next two days, she read your blog to me, another little detail Lara shared with her; as soon as I was feeling slightly better, I ran away from the hospital; I saw Ariadna, she was desperately looking for me, but I had to hide, or else I would have been kept at that odious room for at least a week, and I had a lead, a name… Maupertuis”

“Maupertuis?”

“Serbia…” Sherlock cringed

“You should try and sleep now” John held him closer and kissed the top of his head “we have a hectic day tomorrow, and you have a case to solve” He carded his fingers through Sherlock’s hair and did so until the Detective’s breathing calmed and he was asleep.

The next morning, Sherlock’s phone chimed. It was Milan calling them to go to their office. Sherlock took a short shower and skipped breakfast, much like he did when he was working; John looked at Isabelle’s sleeping form and gave her a quick kiss, before calling Violet to take care of the little girl. He grabbed a quick coffee and was out of the hotel with his madman before the stroke of seven

“We have him” Milan said as a greeting “Follow me” He lead them to the interrogation room and John watched as Sherlock worked his magic. Ferdinand Konesky confessed why he had done it after an hour of Sherlockian deductions, including the one about him being the last to be born, suffering from lack of oxygen at birth and using his brothers to be a surgeon. He did have the skills, but he lacked the knowledge; he had to use a book and guidance, his brothers’ guidance, to operate; which is why his skills were so alike his brothers’

In the end he confessed that he wanted to kill his brothers, the same way he had killed his parents all those years back, just because he wanted to be unique. The sixth victim, his older brother’s girlfriend, was successfully retrieved and was in hospital, recuperating. Before Sherlock could leave the station, Milan cornered him in his office and locked him down

“My dear friend!” He gave Sherlock a hug “Thank you for all your help. We were about to charge the wrong brother” He patted Sherlock’s back and offered him a chair

“I can’t stay, Milan” Sherlock stood still “My… uh… my family is waiting for me”

“Your family?” Milan’s eyes widened in surprise

“Yes, my parents, my husband… and my daughter” Sherlock smiled to himself a bit

“Your… what?” Ariadna practically yelled from the door

“Hey Addi” Sherlock greeted her with a soft smile

“My Sherlock!” She hugged him and kissed both his cheeks “You look so great! I’m so glad to finally be able to see you” He returned the kisses and hugged her close “I was so scared when you left, and then you went under the radar… Oh God… I don’t think I’ll ever forget” She snuggled closer and enjoyed the warm embrace

“I’m here now, I came to see you”

“Lara said you’ll be coming, but not when” Milan put a comforting arm around Ariadna

“My husband and I decided to come here before leaving to America” Sherlock finally sat, knowing that it would take some time before he could leave and be with John

“You keep saying that word” Ariadna guffawed “Husband… what husband?”

“John?” Sherlock lifted a brow

“John Watson?”

“Watson-Holmes since October thirty first… but yes” Sherlock grinned

“That is a huge surprise” Milan shook his head, not knowing what else to say “Are you free for dinner tonight?”

“Let me ask John, he’s right out there” He pointed at the man sitting in the waiting room, playing with his mobile. He left the office followed by Milan and Ariadna, they both giggling and whispering, more nervous that they should be “John?” Sherlock called softly and John looked up at him with his melting smile “These are Ariadna and Milan” He introduced his friends again “They were wondering if we can have dinner with them tonight”

“Yes, Mum said she’ll take care of Bell for the night” Ariadna and Milan looked at each other for a long while “But she’s waiting for us outside, she said we promised her we’ll be going to the Franz Kafka museum today” He showed his phone to Sherlock and indeed there was a text from Violet telling them they were waiting outside “And she got tickets for the black light theatre tomorrow, so Bell will be up late tomorrow night” John sighed

“Do you have much work left?” Sherlock looked at his friends and they both shook their heads “Want to join us tomorrow at the black theatre; we can have a late dinner, and that way you can meet our daughter” Sherlock suggested. They both startled and couldn’t do anything but nod, gaping occasionally and trying to blink from time to time too. 

Sherlock left his astonished friends and for a brief second grabbed John’s hand in his; kissing it, more from need than to show. They shared the day with the parents, going to the other museums as well, including the toy museum. The next night, before the performance, Bell made her acquaintance with Milan and Ariadna, and in a very unlike Bell way, she liked Ariadna and allowed her to give Daddy John and Daddy Sherlock a kiss

Both Ariadna and Milan were amazed by little Bell, she was well mannered, sweet, as talkative as Daddy Sherlock, considerate like Daddy John, and of course, slightly ill tempered, like any good Holmes-Watson would be, but she listened to both her parents and sat quietly during the performance, until she rested her head on Daddy Sherlock’s lap, holding Daddy John’s hand in her tiny hands and having her parents holding hands, sleeping safely in their arms.

After the performance, Ariadna and Milan interrogated them during dinner, and Sherlock and John were able to share a few quick pecks and hold hands for a while, before having to go back to their hotel.

“So” Ariadna smirked “Who proposed?”

“That would be me” Sherlock looked at John and stroked his ring finger

“And how long have you been together?” Milan pried

“Two years, last January” John answered this time “And married for seven months now” He smiled at Sherlock

“And Isabelle?” Ariadna looked at them and her smile widened, looking Sherlock being so lovely and sweet with John

“She’s ours” Sherlock shrugged, she was born a month before we got together, and her mother wanted for us to keep her; she gave her to us after we got married” Sherlock explained blandly

“I’m going to kill Lara” Ariadna half chuckled half huffed “She never mentioned a thing!”

“We asked her not to” John leaned close to Sherlock “It’s easier that way…” He ogled at Sherlock and Ariadna understood. They talked the night away and they arrived to their hotel in the early hours of the morning. They spent a lazy morning together, finding each other again, in the afternoon, and the next couple of days, Sherlock and John enjoyed a tranquil time, visiting Brno and Pilsen, and staying the night in both places, before returning to Prague to fly to Zagreb              


	73. Croatia. Why is Papa hurting Daddy? June 13th to June 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the living room they could hear Siger and Violet guffaw, John looked at Sherlock and shook his head “See?” He tilted Bell’s head up “Daddy didn’t hurt me; he was holding me so I wouldn’t fell from the bed. We were playing” He explained  
> “Playing?” Bell’s eyes lit up “I want to play like you!” She exclaimed excitedly  
> “Not ever” Sherlock muttered under his breath and John glared at him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of crack... How do yo explain "THAT" to a child???

“Andrei and Nikka followed me to Croatia” Sherlock closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the seat “I had just returned from Morocco with Jacques and Marco; and Andrei was waiting for me at Zagreb. Mycroft sent a helicopter for us, we made one stop at Rome and the next one was Zagreb” John was holding Sherlock’s hand in one hand and a tumbler full of scotch in the other. Bell was playing with her grandparents and Sherlock had enough time to tell John what had happened “Nikka was at the safe house, near the botanical garden, and they were ready for my arrival; Mycroft had sent a medical team and I was practically tied to a bed for almost a week, an IV on my arm, liquid food, and a check-up on my back injuries”

“Liquid food?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t hold anything solid; too many days without water and food while I was on stake outs in Morocco and Egypt, two weeks without proper sleep and food, and being sick for so long… Even though Marina fed me daily, all the work she did in Italy was for nothing by the time I reached Greece. Costas was part of my conscience by then, and all food was a waste. Jacques tried to feed me, follow on Lara’s and Marina’s instructions, but I just couldn’t care”

“You couldn’t care?” John didn’t know if he should feel sad or offended

“All I could think about was going back to you, keep you safe, nothing else mattered, and at some point, all I could think about was you already used to the idea of me being dead, so there was nothing left for me to fight for; that is until I saw your face in a dream, and you kept telling me that you needed me, that you loved me and missed me, and I startled awake, took the IV off my arm and went to look for the man I was looking for”

“You had a dream about me? I was telling you to come home?” John felt sad, and he could feel the tears streaming down his cheek, and he tried to hide them behind his free hand, taking advantage of Sherlock’s closed and teary eyes

“I dreamt about you almost every night I could sleep, and it was almost always the same dream, you standing in the middle of the street, holding your phone, and then calling my name, your voice broken, and then at the cemetery, in front of my headstone, asking me for one last miracle and that kept me going, somehow, trying to give you one last miracle, being alive for you. But before I could even give up, you were there, telling me that you missed me and that you loved me. It was a new wind, a new fire, and I fought, because you asked me to” Sherlock didn’t fight the tears, and could sense John shifting by his side. He opened his eyes and touched John’s cheek softly, cleaning the tears “I love you, so much, you bring me life” Sherlock smiled with his eyes and made John look at him

“You fought for a love that you thought unrequited for so long?”

“I had to fight for something, and I decided to fight for you, your life, your happiness; it was my way of showing you how much I loved you, even if it was unrequited” Sherlock lay a soft kiss over John’s temple “You gave me life, and I felt the need to give it back”

“You brought me to life, Sherlock” John locked gazes and held Sherlock’s face with both his hands “The moment I met you I came alive, in a way I never imagined. I could hear my heart beat in my chest; I could feel my lungs fill with air, and you say I brought you to life?”

“You believed in me, that gave me life, John” Sherlock hugged John and burrowed his face on his neck “I was made for you” he breathed the words in John’s neck

“And I for you” John could feel his muscles relax, knowing that Sherlock was not only there, but that somehow he was what fuelled Sherlock to do and be “I’m so proud of you, of your strength and determination. I can’t believe I got so lucky to land such a wonderful man” John kissed Sherlock’s ear and heard him sigh

“I’m the lucky one, you said yes to a madman” Sherlock chuckled softly

“And that was the best thing I could have ever done, the best decision I ever made in my entire life” John lifted Sherlock’s head up and kissed him softly but deeply “to where did you go after you fled the safe house?”

“I had a lead that pointed me to the Stone Gate. Since it’s a very populated area, I was able to find enough information about the Croatian contacts. A man was dealing drugs and smuggling women from Croatia to the United States and Zagreb was the centre of operations. I found him after four days of walking the streets and following a few young men from the wall to bars and coffee shops where they were dealing the drugs, and of course to a few brothels where I found Thai girls and information about the Croatian women that were sent abroad”

“So you followed the lead since Thailand”

“Yes. I found the man in Thailand sending the girls, and he was arrested as soon as I found the places where the girls were sent. It wasn’t just a prostitution and human trafficking ring; it included extortion and drug traffic, using the girls as mules to introduce the drugs into Europe and America” 

“You had to pretend to be homeless too? Or just went daily to the safe house?”

“I left the safe house; I had to. It was the only way to follow these men, being homeless gave me a chance to move around, get to know them closely, follow them without being noticed. The only ones that knew where I was were Mycroft and Number Four. I needed to get away from Nikka, she was quite clingy and I was done pretending I liked her more than I actually do. I even had to pretend to not want to sleep to have her away; she would climb in my bed and try to talk me in to liking her and staying with her. It was exhausting. We had a conversation at some point during my stay in Zagreb, but she’s stubborn”

“Pig-headed” John snorted

“Pig-headed” Sherlock shook his head and laughed “She wasn’t helping me as much as she believed, even though she was like a wife, she was clingy and wanted to be by my side twenty four seven. I couldn’t even dream without her asking what about, and she tried to soothe me a few times, she tried to kiss me too; but I was done with her. As not to fight, because she’s great at stakeouts, I decided to lead her on a bit and tell that if I wasn’t so in love with you, I would choose her, that she was perfect for me, but I was lost in love and nothing would change that”

“Lost in love?”

“To the day” Sherlock grinned

“What happened when you found the men?”

“Jacques and Paul were here, Number Four called them and we met at the safe house. We planned to lure them with Nikka. She went to ask for me, gave them a picture and they recognised me. She pretended to be looking for me for several months; she even gave my identity away, they started hunting for Victor Geiger” Sherlock’s right hand trembled “That’s why I had to “die” in Amsterdam, it was the safest thing to do”

“The plan worked…”

“Perfectly. They found me at the Stone Gate and from there they took me to Bliznec, at the mountains, they had a cabin there, they kept me for about a week, discussing their plans and threatening to kill me every now and then, they would talk in Croatian and discuss every single plan; the kept my phone with them so everything was recorded. A few punches went by, nothing major, fortunately, and by the sixth or seventh day, I’m not sure; Andrei, Jacques and Paul came barging in, arrests were made and a few died, Nikka made sure of that. Jacques tried to take me to the hospital but I convinced him to do otherwise. He took me to Amsterdam that very night; I found a way to hide from Nikka and flee the country before anyone noticed I was gone”

“But she followed you anyway”      

“She did, but I had Maya for a week before she found out where I was and she helped me in Amsterdam, and in Bosnia, well, she was more helpful this time than before, but because she distracted the men that were following me, they were expecting me to be alone, but a man with a wife was another thing; she bought me time to strategize, plan… I’m grateful to her, and I’m sorry I lead her a bit, but I needed her, I needed to be on her good side”  

“In the end she helped you more than you’ll ever admit” John said with a sad tint to his voice

“Hey!” Sherlock tilted John’s head up “No one like you” he kissed him softly on the lips “I needed you by my side all the time. My biggest regret having to lie to you and do all this alone; I wish there was a way to do it, to bring you with me; but your life is too precious for me to risk it. By the time I arrived to Serbia I had no idea if I’ll be able to come back. I was sure I was going to die, but at the moment all I could think was that if I died it was worth it, because you’ll be safe”

“Don’t say that, please” John pulled him close and held his wrist in his hand, feeling his pulse

“I’m sorry” Sherlock apologised and breathed in John’s neck

“No…” John kissed him softly and tenderly “What are our plans?”

“Upon arrival, the black sedan will be taking us to the Esplanade in the heart of Zagreb. Mummy booked the Esplanade suite so they’ll be staying with us in the other room. She said they’ll keep Bell with them, they already asked for a little bed to be placed in their room. She also asked if you wanted to cook every night, if not, she can have a chef preparing all our meals”

“We can manage…” John sighed “Besides, I don’t want them knowing you can cook” He winked at Sherlock “are we going to the Stone Gate?”

“Yes, and after we’re going to the archaeological museum: I want to show you something I had the chance to see there” Sherlock eyes brightened “The day after tomorrow a picnic at the Botanical Garden and the Zoo for Bell”

“I would like to take a scenic tour or something, have someone else explain the city”

“We can do that before we leave, but I want to take you to the arts and crafts museum first and then to the street art museum, and for Bell the technical museum”

“Busy bee again?”

“We will have our weekly date, as friends; but the place I’m taking you is a surprise, and we can have a day off if you wish, just the two of us”

“I’d like that very much; a day without leaving the bed the entire day. It’s getting hot around here”

“It’s been really hot for the last couple of years…” Sherlock teased, leaning close and kissing John’s hot spot behind his ears.

“How long until we land?” John fixed his trousers

“Now” Sherlock smirked as the plane landed

The black sedan was waiting for them and they arrived to their hotel shortly after. They had the afternoon plans ready and instead of staying in, they decided to exhaust the baby and the parents, going to the technical museum. She played with a few of the exhibits, giggling excitedly at the lights and sounds they made. Exhausted and happy, she allowed her daddies to bathe her and tell her a story; she was asleep after the second page.

Sherlock and John chatted for a while with Violet and Siger before John reminded Sherlock that they had a movie date. They put the movie on and John decided it was time to make love to his husband properly. In the early hours of the morning, and with the built up need from a rather busy week, Sherlock decided it was time to repay his sweet husband with the same amount of love he had received just a couple hours earlier.

He prepared John slowly, like he always did and was inside him a few moments later, thrusting slowly at first. John was utterly enjoying the moment, trying to keep quiet, although at some point he couldn’t care less about who was listening to them. In the throes of passion, John let out a single cry of Sherlock’s name and was taken by the bliss, but it lasted just a few moments, before the two of them realised little Bell was standing at the door, eyes wide open, looking at them with a horrified expression

Sherlock pulled out immediately, making John wince and groan, he grabbed his dressing gown and covered his body hurriedly; he went to pick his daughter but Bell pushed him and turned her face away. John pulled Sherlock’s shirt on and went over to Bell and the little girl clung to him, hiding her face in John’s neck and looking away from Sherlock

“Hey beautiful! What happened?” John tilted her head up and saw her puffy eyes

“Is she okay?” Sherlock looked at his daughter and the little girl started crying, hiding away from Sherlock “What happened baby love?” He tried to grab her but she scooted away

“Tell Daddy what’s going on, sweetie, please?”

“He made you hurt” She pointed at Sherlock

“No baby; Daddy didn’t hurt me” John rubbed her back

“He made you cry, Daddy, he made you sad and hurt” Bell insisted, they didn’t know how to explain to her what they’d been doing, but instead of explaining anything, Sherlock grabbed John’s hand in his and gave it a kiss

“Honey, Daddy didn’t hurt me, he…” John was at a loss for words “Daddy was… uh… tickling me…”

“But he hurt you in your bum, he made you cry”

“No, he…” John looked at Sherlock and Sherlock shrugged, a panicked expression on his face, not knowing what to say or do “He…”

“I wasn’t hurting Daddy, little love” Sherlock tried to explain but Bell looked away again “You know Daddy has an ouchy in his shoulder?” Bell looked up at Sherlock and nodded “Daddy was trying to get away from me” Sherlock swallowed hard “because he didn’t want me tickling him…” he made an annoyed face “and I grabbed him by the ouchy and fell on his back, and he…” He licked his lips, this was harder than he thought it would be “almost fell, and he twisted his arm and cried my name…” He breathed in and out slowly “so I would hold him so he wouldn’t fall from the bed, and he was hurt, because his ouchy hurts” Sherlock finished, not knowing what else to say

From the living room they could hear Siger and Violet guffaw, John looked at Sherlock and shook his head “See?” He tilted Bell’s head up “Daddy didn’t hurt me; he was holding me so I wouldn’t fell from the bed. We were playing” He explained

“Playing?” Bell’s eyes lit up “I want to play like you!” She exclaimed excitedly

“Not ever” Sherlock muttered under his breath and John glared at him

“Of course we can play, let me and Daddy go to the loo, you wait right here and we’ll play” John put Bell on the floor and fished his pants from where they had landed near his jeans and threw Sherlock’s at him. He cleaned the bed and himself before carrying Bell to it. Sherlock sat next to them, his old t-shirt and his pyjama bottoms on, and they both tickled Bell until the girl had forgotten all about her experience.  

They went to the planned places, faces flushed more from the lie they told than the fact that Bell caught them having sex, enduring stoically the laughs and looks Violet and Siger gave them.

“We have to lock the door from now on” John sighed

“We should, but if there’s an emergency?”

“Then we need to be more careful”

“We can be as careful as we want, but she’s waking up on her own, she no longer sleeps in a cot, so it’s harder to keep track of her”

“We can keep the “playing” lie for so long. Eventually we’ll have to explain to her what we were really doing”

“Over my dead body” Sherlock huffed

“She’ll always be our little girl, but she’ll grow up eventually” John kissed Sherlock’s cheek, trying to comfort him

“I know…” He sighed “We’ll explain it to her as soon as she can understand, but for now…”

“I’ll try to be quieter” John looked down

“And I more careful” Sherlock tilted John’s head up and kissed him deeply

“Shall we continue?”

“Yes, perhaps the Zoo will make her forget” Sherlock pulled John close and kept on walking

Their days went by between museums, a night at the theatre, and sightseeing tours, until the last day, when Sherlock took John to the archaeology museum. Sherlock knew the curator and the woman took them to the lab

“This is where I wanted to bring you” Sherlock beamed at John “I found this” He pointed to an Etruscan figurine “And brought it back to the museum; since then, they allow me to visit the lab”

“You retrieved it?”

“Yes, an antiquary smuggling ring operated by one of Moriarty’s men” He put rubber gloves on and picked the figurine from the case, showing it to John. It was a horse figurine made of bronze, delicately decorated with beautifully engraved small concentric circles “Like the one in China, with Shan”

“It’s beautiful” John whispered and grazed the figurine softly.

They stayed there for a while before Sherlock remembered it was their last night in town “Come” he grabbed John’s hand and pulled him along “It’s our friends only” night” He left the museum and pulled John along the street to the Pivnica Medvedgrad, Zagreb’s brewery

John’s eyes widened and he couldn’t believe where he was. Sherlock had prepared a tasting just for John to enjoy every brew possible, they chatted while John tried every single beer, until he settled with a Belgium strong ale and Sherlock chose an Agram stout. They talked and drank the night away. The walk back to the hotel was a funny one, they both were tipsy, they stopped every three steps to kiss and grope each other and the twenty minutes’ walk turned into an hour walk until they arrived to their hotel. John, as always, promised Sherlock a very fulfilling night and so did Sherlock, unfortunately, alcohol overtook them and they were both asleep before they noticed. The next morning, a very late and groggy one, they were ready to leave Zagreb and try to enjoy their time in Bosnia             


	74. Bosnia, darkness and a ghost June 21st to June 24th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How long?” His voice was strained, fearing the answer  
> “Twenty hours” John kissed his forehead

The Bosnian air made Sherlock shudder and curl up next to John into a sobbing mess. Victor Geiger had “died” just a few hours before he arrived to Sarajevo and he was still feeling the aftershocks of a man dying on top of him; but that wasn’t the reason why Sherlock was so shaken up; or the memories of the twenty hours trip with no stops since he left Amsterdam with Jacques; no, what had him so shaken up, and had him reduced to a silent and unmoving lump was the memory of what he saw during those twenty hours.

He saw Jacques face screw up into a smile when they briefly crossed the border between Germany and France, he remembered Gustav and Daniel the brief moment they sped by Munich; he remembered vividly that Christmas, the last, he spent with his parents and Mycroft in Austria, wishing he could stay and live in Vienna, damned the world and the mission; call John, ask him to come and never let go; his eyes danced briefly over the mid-afternoon lights in that small road they took between Croatia and Hungary, and for a moment, his mind was lost in the green of the woods he knew he would get lost in a few months when he would arrive to Serbia.

Arriving to Bosnia was another thing, shrapnel-strafed buildings received him, and suddenly the reality of his life crushed him, he was like that building, hurt, injured, and still standing. He was tired, his body wracked and stiff, he was feeling cold, in spite of the warm night that received him. Escaping at midnight was a great idea, they took secondary roads, and not all the boarders were secured, he was a ghost and he had to blend in with the landscape. He had seven passports, a different man in each different boarder, longish hair, a plastered unpleasant smile, a sick feeling to his stomach; a man prisoner of his choice, a prisoner of the love he felt for another man, a man that surely had forgotten him; that had moved on with his life; a man for whom he would die a thousand times more if needed.

John held him while the memories washed over Sherlock’s body; he knew he’ll have a long night ahead, and that his Detective, the love of his life, would have one of those nights. He gently pulled him out of the car and gave a concerned look to Violet, who had decided to stay for another week with them, mostly because during their trip to Greece, Mamie had told them all about Sherlock’s time away, all the secrets he hadn't relayed on anyone but his beloved Mamie. She took Bell in her arms, the little girl desperately trying to flee away from her and hold her Daddy Sher. Siger had to help his wife force the kid out of the car and take her squealing and crying all the way to their room, a room away from Daddy and Papa.

John manhandled Sherlock, not in the way they both loved, but with the coldness of the doctor within. No sooner they reached their room, Sherlock was wrenching his guts out, and John was soothing him gently, impotently knowing that that was all he could do. When he emptied his stomach of all he had eaten for the past two years, Sherlock rested his head on John’s chest, not wanting to wonder how his Doctor had manged to drag him to the warm and cosy bed. John stayed up part of the night, checking on his pulse, lowering his fever with wet towels, soothing his wrecking body with caresses and his broken mind with words of love. Twenty hours later, Sherlock was wide awake, watching John’s sleeping form next to him, arms and legs tangled, slow breathing and a worried expression on his crease. Sherlock caressed his forehead slowly and murmured words of love, sighing in relief when he chased away the nightmare.

John opened his eyes slowly, the lights of the morning filtering through the closed curtains, and the first thing he saw were those beautiful bluish-greenish eyes staring directly at him, clear as the day sky, soft and filled with love

“Good morning my sweet love” John greeted Sherlock and caressed his back softly “How long have you been up?”

“A few minutes” Sherlock burrowed his face in John’s neck “How long?” His voice was strained, fearing the answer

“Twenty hours” John kissed his forehead and attempted to move away but Sherlock held him close

“You used the mat and diapers” John nodded “I’m sorry” Sherlock apologised and moved away from John, but this time, John held him close, a rain of kisses covering his face and neck

“I’ll do everything for you. There’s nothing you should be ashamed of. You’re my sweet love” he gave him another kiss on the neck “We should get up” He patted Sherlock’s back softly “We need a shower and you have to eat”

“Did I attack you?” Sherlock looked away from John, feeling more ashamed than ever

“No. After we arrived, you climbed in bed and I was undressing you when you turned your head and threw up; I made it just in time to avoid you chocking; when you were done I cleaned you up and you went to sleep immediately. I stayed with you for a couple of hours and went to check on Bell” John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and scratched his skull softly “She is okay, don’t worry, mum and dad are with her, they went to the zoo yesterday afternoon, they had lunch and went to the zoo after her nap”

“Have you eaten?” Sherlock’s voice was filled with concern and slight anger

“Yes. I called for room service and had a late lunch, I read for a while, watched telly, answered a few comments on the blog, sent a few emails until Bell arrived, I had dinner with her, gave her a bath and put her to bed. She asked about you and I told her you were a bit sick; she wanted to take care of you but mum took her away for bed time, that was fourteen hours ago”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Yes, around one. I made sure you were okay, you emptied your bladder an hour before so I did sleep for…” John checked his clock “eight hours!” he said surprised

“Where’s Bell?”

“At the park with mum and dad, they said they’ll take care of her today so we can have our talk”

“Where are we?”

“The Bristol. A bit away from the hustle and bustle but fairly close to everything we might need”

“We’re far from where I wanted to take you” Sherlock frowned but let it go “We should use our car, then” Sherlock said, finally leaving the bed but pulling John with him to the bathroom “Breakfast and then talk” He nodded once and turned the water on.

Ten minutes later he was having breakfast and John was happy to see him eat, it had been the worst episode so far, because Sherlock had developed a fever, he was sure that their time in Serbia would be even worse, John feared that going to Serbia might be the end of his Detective, but at the same time, having the opportunity to revisit certain sites had given Sherlock the chance to purge his soul. He was a better man for facing his fears, and for helping John face his own.

A quick text to Mycroft and their Mercedes was out the door, waiting for them. Sherlock drove John through the city, shuddering every now and then, and John feeling his forehead, fearing a new feverish outbreak

“I’ll be fine John” Sherlock pulled close to a building and climbed down out of the car “Here” He helped John out of the car and pulled him close, holding his hand “See up” He hugged John from the back, caring little about the looks they were receiving and pointing to a side wall on a building

“Shrapnel!” John let out with a gasp as he looked up the building

“This was the first thing I saw when I arrived here” Sherlock buried his face in John’s neck and breathed him in “And all I could think about was going back to Vienna and stay there, call you and ask you to come; but at the same time I couldn’t help but think that you had already moved on, that you no longer needed me, but that your life was in danger still” John could feel tears rolling down his cheeks. He turned in Sherlock’s arms and gave him a sweet kiss

“I don’t think I ever thanked you enough for what you did” John kissed him again, between sobs and tears “You must have been so tired…” He let a long sad sigh out

“Yes. I was tired, but as I told you before, you were my fire” He tightened the embrace and gave John an impossibly sweet kiss that melted the man in his arms “I stayed in that building for four days” He pointed to another shrapnel-strafed building “The lead I received while I was in Amsterdam directed me to Sarajevo and all I could do was to wait and look for them. The news that Victor Geiger died spread like fire, and the only people that knew I was alive were Blanicoff, Moran and Maupertuis, Blanicoff was the one that gave me the names of the men I needed to off here; Moran had been following me from the beginning and Maupertuis… had his ways…. Blanicoff understood why I had to do it; he was behind several assassinations here too. Controlling the Balkans was of importance to his growing empire, because it gave him the chance to move into Ukraine, getting Kiev under his ruling, much in the same way Moriarty had”

“Are you sure he didn’t know who you really were?” John followed Sherlock’s gaze and stuck to one of the many holes in the concrete

“I don’t know. I think he did because I could tell he knew I was lying, but he was a helpful asset. He wasn’t as clever as he claimed to be, though, because in his eagerness to “conquer” the entire market he divided the families. Gavrilov was like glue; he kept the Italians, Greeks and Americans happy, he had ears and eyes everywhere, and the moment Balnicoff killed him, the houses separated and Blanicoff never took into account that he might need to maintain his suppliers happy; many of Gavrilov’s suppliers decided to provide to the Americans instead of sending the products to Europe”

“Products?” John followed Sherlock to their car

“Guns, ammo, drugs, people, antiquities, you name it; if anyone showed any interest in anything they would sell it” Sherlock kept on talking while he started the car

“You mean…”

“Anything… Men, women, children, old and young, from any country, of any age or gender… used as carriers, abused, raped, killed, bought and sold…” Sherlock closed his eyes and remembered the worst part of his endeavour “They would use kids to move drugs and guns, pregnant women to move money and drugs; men to move art, teenagers to pay debts; or in exchange to works of art, money, drugs… Anything” He was driving to a bridge close to the buildings

“And what did you find here?”

“The same issues I found along the way, people and drug trafficking, but this time there was a weapon and ammo ring that made things worst; they would send crates of ammo and weapons to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan… And they would be paid in women and drugs, the women bringing the drugs. From here they would export women, young women, to the United States, and they would receive drugs in exchange; they are still doing it, but now they have created their own families, and I don’t pose a threat anymore, because I finished with the major threats already, Moriarty, twice, AGRA, and last but not least, Blanicoff… The only lose end was Moran…”       

“They are indebted to you, then?”

“I don’t see it that way; but I know that I did help other families to take control over the smuggling rings all over the world. Now Mexico has its own cartels, and the Russians have no say in them, they distribute to the entire continent, meanwhile some of the product makes its way to the United States and from there it’s distributed to the rest of the world. There are producer in the Middle East, China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, but they have other ways to distribute their many… products…”

“After those four days, you found the man you were looking for?”

“In a way… The truth is Nikka found me, and she decided she wanted to help me; she would ask people about me, and she spread the voice that her husband was missing, that he was last seen with a dealer and that she wanted to find me. Finally, her efforts paid off and she found information about a minor dealer. She gathered enough data for me to come and look for him”

“She showed them your picture?”

“No, she described me, but she described my disguise, a professional man that had disappeared a few months ago from his house in Russia. After she gave me directions to the minor dealer, I found him close to a University; I approached him and bought all the cocaine he had” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand a little tighter “I didn’t use. I was tempted too, but Jacques was with me and he tossed it away” Sherlock could feel his veins claim the drug until John’s gentle hand grazed his arm and all desire was gone “The boy was so excited with my purchase that he offered to get more for me, he had me follow him to the major dealer and the man immediately took a liking on me; he used me to deal a couple of times, all was “bought” by Mycroft’s men”

“What happened to the minor dealer?”

“He died, he was killed by the major dealer” Sherlock had to stop the car, his hands were shaking and he drove to the entrance of the bridge “He threatened to tell the police… I had taken his job and he wasn’t pleased” Sherlock right hand was trembling fiercely

“Where?

“This bridge… he fell there” Sherlock pointed to a spot in the middle of the bridge “Execution style…” He climbed out of the car and John followed “I was to be the executioner” He leaned into the railing “That day the entire ring was arrested. I had followed them for three weeks after I found the minor dealer. By the time the boy found himself without a job I had identified the base camp and had the schedules for importation and exportation, I gave the information to Jacques and he contacted the Interpol, they contacted the local police and they made the arrests. The moment the boss found himself about to be arrested, he pointed the gun to the boy and blew his brains out; he thought the boy had called the police. I shot him after that… Jacques took the gun from my hand and fired two more times, that way if someone checked his hands they’ll be covered with gunpowder”

“Why did he do that?”

“Because I was dead… How could a ghost fire a gun?” Sherlock closed his eyes, at that point in his life, he was less than nothing

“You got arrested?”

“No, I jumped from the bridge during the confusion and hid at the Mali Park until Jacques found me and took me to the safe house near the woods. I slept for almost a day; and before I knew it I was in a car going to Prague”

“And Nikka?”

“Jacques sent her back to Moscow, she needed to keep an eye on Blanicoff and his smuggling ring; she was in charge of investigating Gavrilov’s death, that’s why they contacted me when Gavrilov’s granddaughter was… you know…” John nodded, remembering the terrible thing that happened to the little girl “During that trip I went through Bratislava and I wanted to jump out of the car and run to Vienna. The night before my trip I was out in the woods, looking up at the stars and wondered if you were looking at the same stars”

“After your fall I couldn’t look up; I would see you fall from every building, it took me over a year to overcome that fear. I went to Ireland for my birthday… Mary… she… had a trip there and I went with her. We went to Dublin and the day of my birthday I went to the beach. We were staying at Dun Laoghaire and at the stroke of midnight I left the B and B and walked to the beach. I sat there and saw the night for the first time in almost two years… I couldn’t stop wondering what would have happened if you…”

“I love you, John” It was all Sherlock needed to say. John rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder and entwined their fingers; they stayed at the bridge for a long moment, watching the people move around them, Sherlock, mourning his many deaths and the many deaths he had caused, John letting the story settle in his heart and finding love, forgiveness and joy in Sherlock’s hand

After a long moment, Sherlock tugged John’s hand gently and pulled him to the car. They went back to their hotel and shared lunch with their family, Sherlock chatting happily with Bell and his parents and John looking at him lovingly, enjoying the liveliness Sherlock had.  

“What are your plans, boys?” Violet asked them

“I was thinking about going to At Medjan” Sherlock swallowed a bite of his food “To the archaeological park; since you went to the zoo already, we need to find another activity for Bell” Sherlock tousled his daughter’s curls “And maybe the National Museum, but that would take us just an afternoon” He looked pensive

“We could go to Jahorina” Siger suggested

“Summer time, dear” Violet patted his cheek softly

“Maybe we could cut our time short and leave to Montenegro the day after tomorrow: Since all our plans have changed as we go, and I was actually planning on bringing John here next year, I don’t see why not change our plan a little more” Sherlock shrugged

“Are you sure there is nothing you want to do here?” John looked at Sherlock a bit worriedly; he had underestimated his Detective’s urge to leave Bosnia

“We may go to Bijambare, but I doubt we can take Bell to the caves, and there is the Under Siege tour I wanted to take you, but that’s not for a child and we can do it in less than a day, and we could be leaving easily the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon hours. We could even drive to Montenegro and be there before Bell’s bed time” Sherlock looked at John and John nodded “We could go to At Medjan today and tomorrow I’ll take you the caves and the other museum; and the day after tomorrow we can leave right after breakfast. Want to join us on a road trip?” He looked at his parents

“I think we’d like that” Siger smiled and looked over at his wife; Violet nodded and winked at his husband “We would like to see how you used to travel before we interfered in your lives” He chuckled and made John and Sherlock laugh

They left the hotel and Sherlock took his family to At Medjan, he enjoyed the site like a little kid, asking difficult questions to the archaeologists in charge, working for a while in one of the trenches, and smiling every so often at John who just looked at him with love and admiration.

The next two days went in a dash, Sherlock having John walk like they used to do before Bell, running around the city and pointing at every single thing he saw, having John look at where he pointed and explaining every single detail of what he saw. The Caves were magnificent, and Sherlock enjoyed them like the kid he will always be, like the kid John loves; they played around for a while and John asked Sherlock not to go to the siege site, he had enough memories of foxholes and trenched to last a lifetime. The day of their departure, a very excited Violet had packed snacks for all; she was ready to have the best drive of her life.         


	75. Montenegro. June 24th to June 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sherlock has changed so much, and that’s thanks to you” Violet kept on talking “He told you about his brothers, and thanks to you he now has a relationship with Mycroft, after twenty five years of barely speaking to each other” She leaned on John’s shoulder “I have you to thank for giving me my sons back, the three of them, even if Sherry no longer lives anywhere near us”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but I'm done with my Master's degree thesis!!! Yey!  
> As always, thank you for reading, love the kudos, comments and subscriptions and I love you all!

The drive to Montenegro was filled with laughter. It was the first time in years that he had enjoyed a drive with his parents; the last being right before he turned twelve and Redbeard… After that he hated everyone, Mycroft, his parents, and he hated his life; he didn’t want to go anywhere with them, because they made him leave Redbeard alone, and he got sick while he was away in one of the many trips his parents took him to distract him from the fact that Mycroft had started working and had no time to spend even Christmas with his brother.

Sherlock took the wheel for the first hour of the trip, having to stop less than an hour later in Foča, because his mother wanted to see the beautiful sight and John understood, his photographer side getting the best of him. They walked around the town for about an hour and John took the wheel from there to Nikšić, two hour later, because Siger wanted to check that cathedral, Saint Basil’s of Ostrog, because “It looks magnificent, and incredible, and just amazing, there, carved in the mountain” Having to have lunch at Nikšić, and having to take loads of pictures of Bell with her grandparents, not before having her stuffed with pizza.

After nine hours of a four hours trip, they finally arrived to Podgorica; Bell was ready to close her eyes and let sleep take her, but Mamie decided she needed a bath, dinner and a story told by gramps. Sherlock and John looked at their helpless daughter and decided to spare the kid of the night ahead, arguing that they hadn’t spent enough time with her and that they wanted to prepare her for the nightly ritual

They arrived to a flat that Sherlock had booked in advance, he showed his parents their bedroom and took little Bell from his mother; John asked them to go to the shops and buy whatever for dinner, and they gave Bell a quick bath, a nice night snack and she was asleep even before Daddy John read an entire page from Treasure Island

Violet and Siger found a store close by and bough everything they could buy, ready to make dinner; fortunately for Sherlock and John, their help wasn’t required and they were able to retire for a while and sit in front of the telly until food was ready. In the meantime, and with the white sound that came from the telly, they programmed their stay, knowing that there was more to Podgorica than what they had seen so far.

They received another envelope from Mycroft and this time they opened it before doing anything else, it was an update on “IT” as Sherlock fondly called their baby, being chastised by John and having to look down and apologise profusely while waiting for dinner. The picture was perfect and John stored it in a place where Sherlock wouldn’t look for it; Bell’s nappy bag.

With their plans made, a sleeping baby and tons of time in their hands, Sherlock and John shared a bath; turned the telly on their bedroom on and indulged in a very romantic night, much needed after what had happened just a few days before. The next morning, John treated his family with breakfast and they were ready to leave the flat and visit the city. Siger and Violet followed the other couple happily, enjoying the sights Sherlock had planned for them to visit.

Being a sucker for archaeology, Sherlock prepared three visits to different archaeological sites to cover in the next three days. Doclea, that took them all morning, and he was like a kid at a candy store, having a special permit to see the trenches and identify the different occupations the sight had. John simply followed, watching his beloved madman being a child. That afternoon, and too keep John happy, he took his family to a Vineyard, a wine tasting, and their “just friends” date, hearing John talk about the devastating twenty hours he had watched him sleep, away from this world, with a spiking fever and no bladder control whatsoever.

During their conversation, Sherlock wasn’t allowed to apologise, John was talking to a friend about something sad, painful and he just needed a sympathetic ear. Sherlock lend it to him as best as he could, keeping a calm looking exterior, even though his blood was frozen in his veins, his stomach churned, he felt anger, despair, pain, and at some point utter rage against himself for hurting John the way he had.

That night, John made sweet love to his husband, as a way to reassure him that they were okay, that all was forgiven and forgotten; although the nightmare that followed was less than reassuring and Sherlock spent half the night holding a sobbing John that had the worst nightmare ever, waking up next to Sherlock’s dead body. The night went away between apologies and forgiveness, and a morning call from Bell that walked in her parents’ room and made her way between them, to sleep a couple more hours because she too, had a bad dream.

The next site they visited was Medun, and Sherlock gave John the chance to fly a helicopter; they landed on the site, and Sherlock, once again, played like a four year old left alone in a toy factory. After that, John flew the helicopter over Podgorica, landing at Lake Skadar and visiting Vranjina, followed by a quick tour over the islands; all that while Bell was at the mini zoo with her grandparents, and had the chance to ride a horse and have a picnic at the park

“And I ride a horsey, Daddy” She told Sherlock that night and Sherlock corrected her

“You _rode_ a horse, baby love” He smiled at her, having the little girl repeat the sentence

“I rode a horsey, Daddy!” She exclaimed excited “Can we go tomorrow again?” She asked to Daddy John. John looked up at Sherlock and they both nodded; it was the least John could do after visiting half of Podgorica by helicopter, indulge his husband’s love for horses, at least one day.       

That night, after Bell was bathed and satisfied with all the music Daddy Sher played and all the pages Daddy John read, she finally fell asleep way past her bed time, giving a well-deserved rest to her grandparents that had followed her around the entire day

“Horsey tomorrow?” John teased Sherlock as he ran his fingers over his bare back and tickled him softly

“John…” Sherlock gave him a frisky look, raising his eyebrow at him “You know you shouldn’t do that” he grazed John’s side from his armpit to his hipbone, making John squirm and let a soft sigh escape his lips “Tonight too?” He kissed John’s neck and straddled him

“You know how I feel, Sherlock” John grazed his fingers over Sherlock’s bare torso and made him shiver

“I like it when you say it aloud” Sherlock bit his lower lip and looked down at John, while playing with his nipples

“I love making love to you” John closed his eyes, a soft blush tinting his cheeks and neck, his hands finding their home in Sherlock’s hips

“And I love when you make love to me” He leaned close and kissed John

“I can’t seem to get enough of you” John sighed and carded his fingers through Sherlock’s locks

“You should take whatever you want then” Sherlock kissed John’s neck and made him squirm

“Then we would never leave this room, and we would end up in hospital, needing rehydration and food. If it were for me, you might never leave this bed. I can’t hardly wait for night to fall, and be in bed with you in my arms” He allowed his hands to fumble with Sherlock’s pyjama bottoms grabbing and squeezing his bare bottom under the fabric “I’m content with holding you, kissing you until we both fall asleep, but having you, the way you let me have you…” He let a breath out “I can’t get enough…” He pushed Sherlock to the side and climbed on top of him

“Then you should have as much as you want and need” Sherlock smiled up at him, his voice two octaves lowers than usual, his eyes dark and needy, his throat dry, and his need evident between his legs “You should take what you want, when you want it, nothing less and much more” He lifted his head up and kissed John deeply

“You’re going to be the death of me, Sherlock Holmes” John whispered and pulled Sherlock’s pyjama bottoms out of the way “I don’t know for how long I can keep with this rate, but all I know is that I’m going to do it for as long as you let me” He pushed his pyjama bottoms down and out of the bed

“Then you would be doing it until the day I die” Sherlock breathed and made John blush

“We have so much to make up for…” He fished the lube from under the pillow “Those twenty nine years before I met you were a total and complete waste of my life” He covered his fingers

“But thirty six years ago we were babies” Sherlock let out a moan, and bit his lip to keep as quiet as possible

“I was two years old, and those two years without you were already two years I had missed the most wonderful thing in my life” John pushed one finger in and his heart jumped at the sound Sherlock made, between a moan and a sigh and he was lost

“Now we have all the time in the world” Sherlock’s voice was barely a whisper, a contained growl that threatened to leave those luscious lips

“You’re going to be the death of me, Sherlock Holmes” John pushed another finger in and Sherlock’s breath hitched, making John feel even more aroused, his heart skipped a beat “You and your gorgeous body, your maddening hips and your luscious lips” He delivered a few kisses only to see how those gorgeous lips became swollen and red “And I know I’ll die happy, because I got to be with you, inside you” He bit Sherlock’s lower lip and watched as his Detective closed his eyes, his face was flushed and his breathing was ragged, arching his back, needing more than just two fingers, he pushed another one and he could see how Sherlock’s face transformed, a smile spread over his face, pure bliss in his every feature, and John couldn’t believe he had lived so many years without him

“John” Sherlock let out, and the Doctor knew that Sherlock was eager

“I don’t want to hurt you” He said, his voice soft, almost broken. Sherlock opened his eyes and looked up at John, he simply nodded and John worked him open longer; relishing in the sighs and moans, the low growls and gasps that escaped Sherlock’s mouth, his darkened eyes fixed on him, that glorious mouth repeating his name like a prayer, the slight sweat that covered his brow and the blushed skin of his chest and cheeks

“Now” Sherlock moaned and John complied, one swift motion and he was inside his Sherlock, feeling what he felt every time he was inside of his beloved, that warmness that made him feel alive, that tightness that drove him mad, slowly but surely mad. His hands rested on Sherlock’s hip at first, his hands that were moulded perfectly to fit those hipbones, that rested there in a perfect fashion; those hands travelled up and found their place, one at Sherlock’s neck, the other at Sherlock’s hair, and another slow thrust that made them both close their eyes and search each other’s lips desperately

John moved slowly, there was no rush, just the two of them; nothing else mattered in the entire world but their bodies and this moment, he made sure he locked the door, and that the house was sleeping, his brain was locked up on Sherlock, his body, his breathing, his hands caressing his back, his lips on his lips, his eyes on his eyes, the feeling of his hair in his fingers, his pulse under his fingertips.

They’d been together for over two years and he still felt as if it was the first time, his breath still got caught in his throat whenever Sherlock kissed him, his palms would get sweaty and his heart would beat faster whenever Sherlock held his hand, his eyes will flutter closed whenever Sherlock caressed his face, his hand travelled instinctively between them but Sherlock batted it away, locking gazes with John

“Just you” Sherlock whispered and let his head fall to the pillow. John’s body moved on his own accord, one hand moved Sherlock’s leg to his hip and returned to Sherlock’s shoulder, the other one pulled Sherlock’s leg slightly up, close to his shoulder; his body shifted and Sherlock’s moans directed his body, he was the orchestra and Sherlock was the conductor, their bodies the instruments and John was more than willing to play Sherlock’s

His pace fastened and soon he was dying of bliss, his lips trapped in an endless and breath-taking kiss, his lungs were made of fire and every breath he took was filled with the sweetest of aromas, his tongue tasted the sweetest of tastes and his eyes were pinned to Sherlock’s face; that face filled with bliss, and peace, and love, and all the things John wanted to say but had no words to express.

He could finally breathe and the smell hit him, it was their smell, a scent that their two bodies had created and was intoxicating; he couldn’t move, his eyes fixed on Sherlock; and with a simple nod, Sherlock let him know that it was okay, that he had to stay in, that he had to breath, and wait, until the need would build up again.

Morning found them kissing and touching and revisiting known places in their bodies; they had to make up for the twenty nine years they had been apart, and the twenty years they had shared with other bodies, other names and other dreams, and the five years they had been in each other’s lives without giving themselves to the pleasure of being together.

They left the bed reluctantly, Bell was calling for them and they wanted to share their time with their little girl. Horses were waiting too; and Sherlock was more than happy to indulge in his love for them, and John, of course, was even happier than his Detective, especially after he saw that gorgeous face lit up at the sight of a black stallion.

They spent the entire morning riding and playing with Bell, petting the horses and sharing furtive kisses and glances, soft grazes and playful touches

“Mummy” Sherlock called Violet “Tomorrow we’re going to Zlatica, so if you want to do something else before, please let me know”

“No dear” Violet patted her son’s cheek “We want to rest this afternoon. It might be nice of you to go out with your husband and daughter, have a nice dinner, just the three of you, without dragging us around everywhere” She kissed her son’s cheek

“You feel like we’re dragging you about?” Sherlock’s eyes widened and he looked away from his mother

“No… my honeybee…” She smiled at her son and made him look up “It’s more like we don’t want to intrude”

“But you’re not intruding Mummy” Sherlock looked her in the eyes and she looked away this time “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, sweetie, everything is okay” She blushed and avoided to look at her son “It’s just that we heard what John said to you last night” Sherlock was the one blushing now “We didn’t mean to, but the walls are a bit on the thin side” She tried to apologise but Sherlock trapped her in a hug

“I’m sorry Mummy” he buried his face in her neck

“What for?” She patted his back “You’re in love, and I’m so glad you love each other so much to talk all night and confess your love for one another, and kiss like teenagers” She made him look up “That’s why we feel like were intruding, because you control yourselves, and you shouldn’t” Sherlock’s face reddened even more, his mother was being more delicate than ever

“You’re not intruding Mummy, anything but. You’ve been very helpful, and Bell is so happy with you here that I don’t want you to leave until we go back for Mycroft’s wedding” Sherlock gave her a kiss and held her close

“Mycroft’s wedding!” She gaped and ran her fingers through her hair; throwing up her hands to the sides of her head and then buried her face in her hands “I completely forgot about your brother’s wedding!”

Sherlock bit his tongue, he just screwed up majorly “You shouldn’t worry, Mummy” he hugged her again “I’m sure he can manage” he tried and when Violet tried to push him away he squeezed her a little more forcefully “Besides” He sighed in her neck “I need you more” He whispered and felt as Violet melted in the embrace and allowed herself to breathe again

“Are you sure?” Her eyes were brimming with tears. Sherlock nodded and held her little hand in his much bigger hand, he kissed her hand softly and pulled her to his side, walking to where John was waiting for them with Siger, a nice blush to his face and a smile directed to them

They walked with Bell holding their hands and enjoyed the afternoon at a park, with Bell playing and Tim watching her fondly; Sherlock called him and asked him to stay the night with the little girl so he could take John and his parents to dinner and drinks.   Tim accepted gladly, he had missed the little girl since Violet and Siger had arrived

They chatted the night away. Violet talked to John about the night before and made him blush, but she just kissed him on the cheek and continued praising him and thanking him for loving her son the way he did, and all John could do was tell her “I learned to love with him, and I don’t know any other way to love”

“And he reads Neruda to you when he thinks you’re asleep” She smiled at John and he nodded “He learnt that from his father. He reads that poem to me every night. My boys would hear it and they simply learnt it, they know it by memory now. Sherrinford reads it to his wife, and Mycroft started reading it to Greg the day of your first wedding” Violet looked at John’s loving eyes “And now, my little boy recites it to you” She gave him a Sherlockian smile

John shook his head; smiling fondly at Violet, he hoped their children would do the same with their partners. He looked at Sherlock and had to resist the urge to kiss him, he looked like his father, the same eyes, the same smile, and they chatted happily, pointing at them and smiling

“Sherlock has changed so much, and that’s thanks to you” Violet kept on talking “He told you about his brothers, and thanks to you he now has a relationship with Mycroft, after twenty five years of barely speaking to each other” She leaned on John’s shoulder “I have you to thank for giving me my sons back, the three of them, even if Sherry no longer lives anywhere near us”

“You know where he is?” Violet shook her head “Then?”

“I know he’s okay, and that’s all I need”

“Do they…” He looked at Sherlock “I mean… do Mycroft and Sherlock know?”

“No… And it’s better that way” She gave him a look “But I know you’ll tell him, so I better tell him first and handle it now” She moved from his side to the table and sat between her husband and her son. John could see how Sherlock’s expression changed from joy, to anger, from utter disbelief to profound sorrow

Sherlock left the table and John followed him, he found him smoking outside the restaurant and he could do nothing but be there, wait until he talked

“Thirty years… It’s the first time I heard of him in thirty years, and now Mummy doesn’t want Mycroft to find out about him…” He gave another drag to his cigarette

“I’m sorry” John patted his back and stood next to him

“She was talking to you about him?” John nodded “She asked you not to tell me?” John nodded again “Did you tell her something?”

“I didn’t have time” John shrugged “She said she knew I was going to tell you” He looked directly to Sherlock’s eyes “She decided to tell you on her own”

“She lied…” Sherlock looked down

“She protected him, the same way she protected you…”

“She should have said something…” Sherlock was in dire need of a hug

“Let’s go home and talk more there. I don’t think this is the place” He tried to avoid the prying looks of the patrons at the restaurant that were looking at them with wide eyes

“I feel like walking, you go with them”

“No” John shook his head “The two of us… always” Sherlock smiled at him and nodded

They went to the flat and Sherlock stayed up all night with his parents talking about his brothers and what they knew about Sherrinford. Sherlock yelled, went silent, went to look for John, hugged him for an hour and cried himself to sleep in his Doctor’s arms. The next morning was awkward, but John had convinced his Detective to talk to his parents more calmly and he accepted. While they visited Zlatica John let his husband talk to his parents for a long while, in the meantime he played with Bell, read to her and chased her around.

When all was said and done, Sherlock returned to John’s side and buried his face in his neck; the only scent that made him happy, and feel calm, is John’s. He filled his lungs with it and went back to his mother and hugged her. Sherlock was a changed man, and John had a lot to do with it. As Lestrade once said “Sherlock Holmes is a great man, and I think one day, if we’re very lucky, he might even be a good one” and John just witnessed, once more, the day Sherlock Holmes became a good one…

The family, even though a bit broken, found a way to continue, and Mummy promised Sherlock to tell Mycroft about their brother, even if it meant she might have to endure another Holmesian fit. As they returned to the flat, Sherlock received a call, their plane was ready to take them to Spain the next day, and all Sherlock had to decide was whether he wanted to go to Madrid or Barcelona first


	76. Barcelona. June 30th to July 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Look at them” Sherlock pointed at his parents and John saw them sharing a secret, Violet blushing and Siger kissing her hand, then slowly looking up and reaching shyly for a kiss to the lips; Violet giggled and caressed Siger’s face, the exact same way Sherlock does, and Siger closed his eyes, let out a sigh and reached for another shy peck   
> “They look like newlyweds” John smiled and scratched Sherlock’s head softly, making the Detective tremble in his arms

Their arrival to Barcelona was a bit… disorganised. They were supposed to arrive by boat, but those plans had changed along the way since Siger and Violet joined them on their trip, and now they had to find a hotel for the night until the yacht arrived. They found a seafront hotel, but the only room available was a penthouse suite that accommodated the five of them comfortably. The suite had everything, three rooms, one prepared for Bell; a small kitchen and a dining table, everything they might need.

They settled quite comfortably in the suite and Sherlock was torn between staying at the suite or the yacht; from there he could see the ocean, but from the boat he could hear it; and the city seemed to be more noisy than he remembered, somehow, he got used to share the silence with John

As soon as they arrived, Sherlock found their Jaguar waiting for them and a note from Mycroft about Sherrinford

“Big brother” Sherlock greeted

“Little brother” Mycroft replied fondly

“You knew he was alive?”

“Yes…. I’m sorry”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were too little, and with time, it just got harder to explain he had to go”

“And at Sofia?”

“I just got you back. I needed time… I had no idea he got married and that he had contacted Mummy and Father”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sherlock repeated himself, a very rare occurrence, but he wasn’t reproachful, he was disappointed

“Because I’m afraid to lose you again” Mycroft confessed and let out shaky sigh

“Don’t lie to me, ever, please?”

“Never again, I’m sorry Sherlock”

“I know, big brother”

“Is Mummy okay?”

“Yes, I managed to keep her with us until we leave Barcelona; that gives you and Greg at least another week”

“Thank you” Sherlock could hear Mycroft smiling

“I’m taking them to the aquarium, should I fed them to the sharks?” Sherlock joked

“No” Mycroft chuckled “Poor sharks, what have they done to you?” He let out a laugh

“I’ll give them the yacht and drive to Madrid”

“That’s a good idea; that gives me a few more days before their arrival, to prepare things, and to know what I should ask Mummy”

“Then you’ll have ten days, eleven tops… Is that enough?”

“When it’s about Mummy it’s never enough…”

“I’ll call you as soon as the yacht arrives. Thank you for the pictures”

“Always, little brother”

“By the way…. John’s birthday is in a week and I was wondering if you could help me with something”

“Of course”

“You know he loves beaches, you saw him play with Bell at Greece, and I think I haven’t given him enough time to enjoy one; is there a way you can find a discrete island, surrounded by beaches where we can be alone, just the three of us? Or even, just the two of us?”

“There is Palma de Mallorca dear brother, you can go to Des Caragol, you’ll be left alone there, the yacht can stay at open sea and you’ll be able to visit the beach. It might take you a couple of days so I suggest you plan it soon. It’s a distant beach and if you want, I have a contact there that’ll be able to help”

“That would be perfect. Mummy and Father can stay at Barcelona for a couple of days, give them time to be alone or go to wherever they want, maybe France or Austria; they liked our home there” Sherlock suggested

“Talk to them, give them the idea and let me know”

“I will… Now I’m off to the aquarium” Sherlock couldn’t believe what he just said “When did I stop being Sherlock Holmes and became someone else?”

“The day you became a Watson… brother dear; and you’ll never stop being Sherlock Holmes, you just have something else now, something that makes you better”

“Since when are you so… sweet?” Sherlock practically spat the last word

“I know…. Disgusting and sentimental… Since I agreed to become a Lestrade…” Sherlock could hear Mycroft roll his eyes

“They’re waiting for me… I should go… Good bye, Mycroft”

“Goodbye little brother”

Sherlock went to his family that was patiently waiting for him and drove them to the aquarium, while there, he talked to his parents and they agreed to wait for them until they return from the island, and even offered to look after Bell for the days they were away. It was agreed and they’ll be waiting for them at Palma.

“We’ll have to cram a lot of sights in one day” Sherlock said, looking down at John

“I know” He sighed and leaned his head on Sherlock’s shoulder “You think Bell will be up to it?”

“No. She’s too little and she gets bored easily, but I think we can manage; keep her interest; though Tim might be able to help, get her to the park, distract her”

“She loves him”

“He’s good to her” They both reflected for a while and smiled at Tim

“Where are we going after the aquarium?”

“Picasso museum”

“Do we have enough time?”

“If we leave now, and being a Thursday as it is, we have until nine thirty”

“It closes late!”

“Yes; so… shall we? You think the little lady has had enough fish?” Sherlock looked at their daughter walking ahead of them, strapped as she was, pointing excitedly at every fish she saw

“You think she’ll like Picasso?”

“I think she’ll love him, he was a great artist, his blue period is stunning” John quirked his brow and looked at his husband questioningly “What?” Sherlock shrugged “Not knowing doesn’t mean not appreciating; I already told you that” He rolled his eyes

“You say that but I think you enjoy knowing as much as you enjoy pretending not knowing” John grabbed his hand and kissed it softly “Picasso is waiting” He smiled up and delivered a quick peck before pulling Sherlock along and to the car

Sherlock drove all the way to the museum and as previously assumed, Isabelle Violet Holmes-Watson, enjoyed Picasso as much as her Daddy Sherlock suggested. She pointed to everything, questioned everything, and even wanted to paint while she was there. Her enthusiasm was as contagious as always, and Sherlock readily delivered the necessary items for her to paint, Tim always there, always ready, took care of the kid while the adults walked around the museum.

When they returned to their baby girl, she was already asleep in Tim’s arms and he was looking down at her adoringly, like he usually did, then was when Sherlock decided to leave Bell with him and her grandparents while he celebrated John’s birthday; even if it meant that his beloved husband might get a bit… angry… but it was worth it, mostly because the celebration he had planned was for adults only.

The same happened at Miro’s museum; Sherlock, even though he claimed not being fond of art, knew enough about the painter to have John mesmerized, jaw dropped and muttering every now and then “amazing”, “brilliant” and other expressions (that the author was thinking about writing but finds them too… amazing and brilliant to express) much to colourful to enlist, though it must be said ranged from “that wonderful brain of yours” to “… I’ll fuck that brilliant brain of yours if we were alone…”

Much like with Picasso, Bell was enamoured with Miro; and Sherlock soon found out her daughter had a wide range of interest in surrealism and infantilism; just two of the words that gained him impressive snogs from his befuddled husband. The same happened at Suñol’s and Tapies’ museums; and it was as if they visited a park or a garden when they went to the Contemporary Art Museum, Bell ran all over the place and his parents followed her happily.

As in every other country, the days went in a daze and a haze of museums, sights, restaurants and a love story, that grew stronger with every passing day; sometimes, John would grab Sherlock’s hand absentmindedly and would kiss each finger as they walked from one painting to the other; or Sherlock would snog his husband senseless in the middle of an ancient church, not caring for prying eyes or surprised gasps, he didn’t even hear the cheers or claps directed to them he simply kissed, because he could, and he loved kissing.

Every night, after a long and excruciating day of visiting, learning, playing, picture taking, family being, and what not, hands fumbled desperately with clothes, too much clothes, and morning would find them kissing like teenager on a rut, holding each other close, professing love and making it, as if they had just found each other; the only give away of their relationship status, the glittery silver in their ring finger, and the rest of the world assuming, between correctly and not so correctly, that they were newlyweds in their honeymoon

One night, after visiting the Holy Family, and several other Gaudi related places such as Park Güell, the Gaudi Museum, Palau Güell, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló; Sherlock nestled next to John at the sun deck and watched as his parents shared a sweet and loving moment right before them, holding hands and watching the sun set, finally in the horizon, to give way to the night and the different sounds the sea made after hours.

“How long do you think you can be a newlywed?” Sherlock looked up from John’s chest and asked the half asleep Doctor a rather difficult question

“Mm…” John chased the sleep away from his eyes with the heels of his hands and carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair “Four or five years… I think” He answered the first thing that came to mind “Why you ask?” He yawned and focused on the mop of hair that was currently blocking his vision

“Look at them” Sherlock pointed at his parents and John saw them sharing a secret, Violet blushing and Siger kissing her hand, then slowly looking up and reaching shyly for a kiss to the lips; Violet giggled and caressed Siger’s face, the exact same way Sherlock does, and Siger closed his eyes, let out a sigh and reached for another shy peck 

“They look like newlyweds” John smiled and scratched Sherlock’s head softly, making the Detective tremble in his arms

“You think we’ll be like them?” It was an absolutely valid question

“We’ll be like us” John ran a finger down from Sherlock’s ear to his neck and settled his hand above Sherlock’s quickening pulse “But I sure hope we are newlyweds our entire marriage” He placed a soft kiss on Sherlock’s curls

“And a honeymoon, how long it lasts?”

“The vacation or the phase?” John couldn’t help but giggle

“Let’s say the phase” Sherlock propped his head on his elbow and looked at John

“I don’t know babe, a year?”

“Then we’re well pass due” Sherlock kissed John’s chest

“Why are you asking?” John looked up and could see Sherlock focusing on his parents again

“They’d been together for the well part of fifty years and look at them” Sherlock pointed at his parents again, this time, Violet was carding her fingers through Siger’s hair and looking at him intently in the eyes; Siger GIGGLED! She leaned closer and this time it was Siger the one who blushed. He patted her knee and stood, giving his hand to her. She followed him to the gallery and didn’t even say goodnight to the now stunned men that looked them walk away

“I guess we have fifty years to find out if we’re going to be a bit like them” John sighed and pulled Sherlock close “I can’t wait” He said to Sherlock’s lips

They stayed the night at the deck; sleep hard to find when you have many things to contemplate about your future and your time together, but not in a sad or dooming way, but because of the giddiness of knowing that you have, at least, fifty more years together, even when you found each other apparently late in life.

Much like the other days, Sherlock had prepared a wonderful day of sightseeing, but John knew something was different, because the boat had started to sail the night before, and once again, he didn’t notice, because he was too lost in his husband’s eyes, his movements, his body, his lips, his hips, his… so distracted that he didn’t notice they were leaving Barcelona’s port and were heading somewhere else. The morning found them where Violet and Siger had left them, a little debauched, fishing for their trunks, but the same place they’d been left, looking down at an island in the middle of their way

“Where are we?” John asked the morning sun that was now blinding him

“Palma de Mallorca” Sherlock said to the same sun “But it’s just a stop to leave Mummy and Father”

“We’re leaving them here?”

“Just for a couple of days, John. Don’t worry”

“And where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise” Sherlock said nonchalantly; the good doctor had forgotten, once again, his birthday “Want to visit Palma for a while?”

“Sherlock, you can’t just stop me from asking by answering it’s a surprise” John got up from the makeshift bed and attempted to make his way from the deck when Sherlock stood rapidly beside him

“My love” Sherlock grabbed John’s face in his “I know you think you loathe surprises…” John rolled his eyes “Even though I’ve managed, quite happily, to surprise you all along this trip” He gestured to the boat “Would you please, trust me?” He gave him a quick kiss and let his face go, listening to the boat come to life with a shrilling call from Bell that was trapped, by intelligently placed baby doors, in her parents’ room “Bell’s up” He practically sprinted down the stairs but stood there and extended his hand “Coming?”

John, that usually found impossible to stay mad at Sherlock for over ten whole minutes, tried as hard as he could, but his anger was gone in less than five seconds; he relented and grabbed his husband’s hand walking down with him to get their daughter

They arrived to the Calatrava and left Sherlock’s parents there. Sherlock planned a day with their daughter, just the two of them, just in case, and explained Bell, quite easily, that Daddy and Papa were going on a short trip, that they’ll be seeing each other soon, and that she should be really good with her grandparents. They went swimming and parasailing with little Bell, the girl excited about being able to see real fish and being up with Daddy Sher up in the air.

She was ecstatic, thrilled, and Daddy John just smiled at her, tousling her curls, laughing with her and following her around. By the end of the afternoon, a sleeping baby was left at the hotel with her grandparents and her parents went back to the boat, shared a quick shower and Sherlock invited John to their weekly “just friends” date; had a few drinks, heard some music, and by the stroke of midnight, they arrived back to their boat; relatively alone for the first time in over three months.


	77. John, my John July 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was feeling giddy; Sherlock’s gifts had always surprised him, even though during his first birthday as friends the git didn’t go to his party. He still remembered the pictures Sherlock had given him of his parents; or how he cleaned his medals and his father’s and put them on a frame in their bedroom for the next one; and now, John knew something wonderful must be inside that box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It just ocurred to me that this is chapter 77... 7/7...

A single blue orchid was waiting for John at their room, right in the middle of the bed. Lit candles framed the room and champagne was being cooled next to the bed, along with chilled strawberries, some dark chocolate and a box with a huge bow on top of it. John turned on his heels only to find Sherlock looking at him from the door, leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his chest and that beautiful smile that melted John’s body and turned his brain into pudding.

“Happy birthday my sweet love” Sherlock walked over to John and gave him that kiss that made John’s knees go weak, his legs unresponsive, his arms turned to pudding, and turned his brain off, that took his breath away and left him with a tingling sensation all over his body, from his lips down to his toes

“My… birthday?” John didn’t know what to ask; he was simply too struck dumb to even think properly

“Yes, my love” Sherlock gave him another kiss “You’ve systematically forgotten your birthday since we started dating, and you always have wonderful gifts for mine” He hugged John close, and the music started.

“That’s my song” John sighed and rested his head on Sherlock’s chest, swaying with the music, feeling more at home than ever

“Mm” Sherlock hummed his answer

“And the blue orchid?” He looked at the bed

“Another little present” Sherlock turned them and hugged John from the back, still swaying to the violin “But that’s more for me than for you… It reminds me so much of your eyes” He kissed him on the ear

“It’s beautiful” John closed his eyes and rubbed his face against Sherlock’s lips and nose

“You are beautiful” He turned John again and gave him another breath-taking kiss, holding him close and carding his fingers in his hair

They danced for a while longer until curiosity gained the best of John and he had to approach the bed. Sherlock took advantage of the brief moment of distraction to open the champagne bottle and serve them both a glass. He fed John a strawberry with a kiss and his glass. Sherlock toasted for the birthday man, to many more years to come and handed him one of the many gifts that adorned the table; not the one with the big bow of course, that was to be left last

His sister had sent to him something he never expected to see again; a photo album of him as a little boy. John’s deepest secret is that he’s a sucker for photography (it has been implied along the fic), but not any kind of pictures, old pictures, he loved to see people on those pictures, their expressions, their eyes, if it was forced or natural, if the photographer knew them or was a studio photo; he liked to create stories for them, imagine colours for the black and white pictures, situations for the surprise eyes, the fake smiles, the stiff shoulders, the families, the kids, the couples; and now he had his own history in his hands and now he could show it to Sherlock and tell him all about those almost fading memories

Sherlock sat next to his husband and let him be silent for as long as he needed; he watched him in awe as he transfixed, as his face went back to that hidden childhood of his, to the moments of happiness and of sadness, to his history, to what had made him the John Watson he is now, to the John Watson Sherlock loves, adores and needs like air to breath

The next gift was from Mrs. Hudson, landlady extraordinaire that had rooted for them since day one. It was a tin of his favourite scones; those that he dribbled with honey every morning for breakfast, feeling the sweet explosion of raspberry inside them go a bit sour in his mouth, still warm from the oven, meld with Sherlock’s favourite honey with every single bite. He smiled fondly at the note

_To my sweet John. Happy Birthday Son. Love, Martha_

Mrs. Hudson had never told either of them she loved them, but it was a known fact, because she simply took care of them like a mother. Suffice to remember who took care of them at Kiev. Molly’s gift was next; a jumper that she knitted, one that reminded him of his father; it was blue, to match his eyes, close to the colour of Sherlock’s favourite scarf; if he closed his eyes, he not only could smell Molly, but his mother and grandmother at the same time; a smell he thought he had long forgotten.

“No experiments on this one” John hugged the jumper and Sherlock shook his head, watching him fondly

“Never” Sherlock gave him a sweet kiss and handed him another present

The gift from his in laws was beautiful; they had managed to get him a watch pocket, engraved with his name and the date of his birth; and on the inside, a picture of Isabelle and the little peanut. John felt chills run down his body and a strange surge of happiness fill his heart, he held the watch in his hand looked at it for a long while, lost in the pictures of his daughter and his little peanut. Much to his pleasure, Mycroft sent him a first edition of _The Decisive Moment_ from 1952, with photographs by Henri Cartier Bresson, one of his favourites from the Magnum House. His fingers tinkled at the touch

Greg, on the other hand, sent him a more mundane gift; a six pack of London’s best, but not just any six pack, it was a six pack of his favourite, the one they drank when they watched a rugby game, or chatted the night away before returning to their respective better, sometimes worst, most times unbearable, other halves. John could taste the fine brewery, he wanted to open a bottle immediately but Sherlock stopped him, signalling to the still full bottle of champagne. John put the gift to the side and felt really excited, he hadn’t received this many gifts since he was ten and his mother threw him a birthday party

“I haven’t received this many gifts since I was ten” John looked at the gift paper crumbled at his feet “My mum threw a birthday party for me and invited all my friends; I received so many gifts I had no idea what to do with them” He was smiling so widely “One of the many gifts I received was a model train…” He picked the photo album “Here” He pointed to a picture “This is the day I’m talking about” He caressed the picture “This is my mum, Ella Mackenzie”

“I know her name, love” Sherlock kissed his hand

“Yes… I like saying her name” He rubbed his mother’s cheek softly, smiling down at her bright eyes “And my dad, Henry Watson”

“I know him too” Sherlock rubbed John’s nape

“He was a nice man, until mum died, then he was dark, sad, a loner… We missed her so much… and Harry… being away” John’s voice broke and Sherlock held him, rubbing his back

“It’s okay to miss them” Sherlock petted his head “I’m glad Harry sent these to you” He pointed at the pictures “Now you can talk about them to Bell and the little peanut” He squeezed John’s shoulder

“Look! Here’s the train!” John said excitedly, pointing at another picture of him with a bunch of gift paper at his feet and a train in his hand

“You look so happy…” Sherlock rubbed his thumb over the picture of little John

“I was happy. I had a nice family, lots of friends, but that was the last party I ever had, two years later everything went to shite” He sighed and turned the page “This is about a week before Harry came out; it was Dad’s birthday”

“Your Mum was already sick” Sherlock looked at the picture

No, she got sick when I was fourteen” He gave the picture a closer look and his mother did look sick, pale and thin

“Right…” Sherlock averted his eyes to stop deducing “I forgot…” He served more champagne in his glass “Sorry…” He took all in one swig and served more

“Sherlock…” John looked at him but knew he was right, he could see the dark circles under her eyes, her paleness and her thinness; she had lost so much weight in a few months “She was sick…”

“Breast or cervical?”

“In the end it was everywhere”

“I’m sorry”

“Why didn’t I see it?” John leaned his head on Sherlock’s shoulder and closed his eyes

“You were a kid, not a doctor” He gave him a soft kiss “I’m sorry I ruined your birthday”

“You didn’t ruin anything” John looked at Sherlock and rubbed his cheek “This is, by far, the most wonderful birthday ever”

“I love you, John” Sherlock gave him that kiss and John pulled him on top of him, fumbling desperately with Sherlock’s shirt buttons “Wait…” Sherlock grabbed John’s hand “There’s another gift” He tried to get up but John didn’t let him

“Can it wait until morning?” He pulled Sherlock’s hair softly and made him moan

“As you wish” Sherlock started kissing John, gifts forgotten.

In the early morning, with a possessive hand over his stomach, and an arm under his head, holding him close, John found himself wrapped with arms and legs by six foot of not so lanky detective; and the images of the night came rushing back to his mind, making him blush, he could still feel Sherlock’s fingers and lips all over his body, lavishing him with soft caresses, lustful lips, and… Sherlock swallowing will always be the best…

His eyes focused on the large box that he had left forgotten last night, it was calling him, but Sherlock’s arms were so inviting, he was torn, his curiosity or his comfort…

“Stop it” Sherlock mumbled to the back of his neck

“What?” John shivered at the feeling of the words whispered to his neck

“You’re thinking too loudly” Sherlock gave him a kiss and tightened his arms around John “If you want to open the gift, go ahead, but come back to bed quickly” He let go of him

John was feeling giddy; Sherlock’s gifts had always surprised him, even though during his first birthday as friends the git didn’t go to his party. He still remembered the pictures Sherlock had given him of his parents; or how he cleaned his medals and his father’s and put them on a frame in their bedroom for the next one; and now, John knew something wonderful must be inside that box.

To John’s surprise, it was a big fat box of… nothing… except it contained a piece of paper with one word _Look_ and John did, he looked up and found Sherlock standing right in front of him with a big red bow tied around his neck, and nothing else. John smiled hungrily at his husband, but what he wasn’t expecting was that by the moment he undid the bow, a vintage camera would be attached to the end of it, and the piece of paper; it was a certificate for photography classes with Matthew Lloyd.

“He said he’ll teach you techniques, and to develop your own rolls and other things” Sherlock said from under John

“We’ll talk about it later” John nibbled Sherlock’s ear and heard the detective sigh a slightly broken “yes” 

Around ten in the morning, and because he needed to eat and rehydrate; John ceased and desisted and went to look for some breakfast for him and his husband; he had planned on spending the next twenty four hours in bed, but the sight that greeted him the moment he stepped out on the deck left him as breathless as looking at Sherlock leaving the shower.

“Des Caragol” Sherlock murmured behind him “And our cabin is waiting for us, if you feel like visiting the beach” John nodded and watched as his husband put some things on a basket and had him follow to a little cabin that he steered to the beach. The moment he saw sand, John threw himself from the boat an swam in the turquoise waters, feeling even happier than he already felt

The beach was waiting for them, with no one around to see; Sherlock put the basket down and stripped quickly, he walked to the ocean and swam naked, enjoying, for the first time since the trip started, the water, the sun and the sand, on his bare back. John followed the example and they ended up getting off in the middle of the ocean, kissing and grabbing and groping, with nothing but water surrounding them.

By night, Sherlock made dinner, John’s favourite. And then they proceeded to christen every single room in the yacht, and almost every horizontal surface they could find, including the chart table in the wheel house. The morning found them again at the sun deck, snuggled close to one another, kissing, licking, biting… It was one of the happiest birthdays John could remember.


	78. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson July 13th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was like a black widow, or a mantis, mate and kill. She had successfully killed a dozen men, most of them bisexuals, all of them either strippers or crossdressers at the night club. She lured them to her apartment, offered to take some more pictures, seduced them and eventually killed them while having sex, and continued on having sex with them until she needed a new victim, that’s why she killed one man every three or four days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to http://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlinMerrick/works... I've been reading her work and it's amazing!!! Loved every single one
> 
> I mention a bit of necrophilia here. Please don’t read it if it makes you uncomfortable

To [AtlinMerrick](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlinMerrick/works)

**The Mantis from Madrid (Please don’t publish it my love, people would want to see the pictures. Love SH)**

I arrived to Madrid two days after my birthday. Sherlock was already there waiting for me with what I can call a wonderful gift; the chance to visit Madrid for the second time in my life. Since this blog is about the cases in which I help ~~my madman, my friend, my beloved, my love, my lover, my husband, my...~~ (I’ve run out of ways to call you in this freaking blog! We have to talk, husband!) Sherlock Holmes, there is little need for me to tell you about my first time in Madrid and the circumstances behind that trip ( **I expect a full report by tonight, Doctor Watson SH** )

Following ~~my beautiful love~~ Sherlock, I ended up at Barajas International Airport after a two hours flight that I had to take at six in the morning, because my presence was required to help ~~the adorable git I’m married to~~ Sherlock with his latest case. Several men, all of them crossdressers had disappeared in the last few weeks, and the only lead they have are photographs of the deceased, very much alive and well appearing on a popular Madrilenian night club web page.

The police was waiting for us at the club; in one of Madrid’s most popular gay neighbourhoods (no wonder people talk): Chueca. All the men that were killed, had performed, at some point, as backstage dancers to the main attraction, and disappeared within hours of their last performance, not before being photographed alive, well, and dancing.

In his endless curiosity (yeah, right…) ( **I am a curious man, and you know I like experimenting, besides, I didn’t hear you complain after... SH** ) Sherlock decided he should pose as a backstage dancer, dressed as a ~~fucking gorgeous, tall and voluptuous six foot tall dark haired, fair eyes, fucking hot, did I say fucking hot? Drag~~ woman in a black dress, heels ~~to heaven and those calves of his, oh for fuck’s sake he looked hot and gorgeous~~ and enough make up to pass as a really tall woman. ( **I knew you were ogling SH** ). He realised, upon further investigation of the main singers, that most of them were in advanced stages of transformation; meaning that they were in the process of becoming women

As for the backstage dancers and singers, most of them were just crossdressers, and the thing they had in common was that most of them had, at some point, been in a relationship with a club photographer. And there went Sherlock to romance her, ~~the fucking prick flirted with her, he even removed his wedding ring, and he thinks I didn’t… oh God…~~ ( **It was for the case, John. You’re my one and only love SH** ) (stop signing SH, I know it’s you) ( **old habits die hard… SH!** ), he invited her to a drink; chatted her up, promised to come back and he even winked at her once he was on stage ( **I was winking at you, in case you didn’t notice… I was flirting with you… more accurately AT YOU! SH** ) dressed as a ~~tall, fucking hot, my husband is gorgeous, as drag, not as much as when his nak… **blog, John**~~ woman.

She invited him to her flat, and being the Consulting ~~Prick~~ Detective he is, Sherlock followed and she offered to take some more pictures. She showed him all the photographs she had taken of him at the show and asked Sherlock to choose his favourites to upload to the club’s web page. Once all the pictures were uploaded, she proceeded to take the other pictures she had offered.

She guided Sherlock to her studio, and Sherlock’s keen eyes spotted the pictures of the other men; he looked at them curiously, and he noticed that by the tenth or twelfth picture, the men were dead, holding strange positions, as if they were dancing, singing, acting; much like puppets or dolls, on the floor, before rigor mortis affected them and their bodies went stiff. What called Sherlock’s attention was that the last four or five pictures were of a sexual nature, they were naked, aroused and she was in each of them, performing fellatio or penetrative sex.

When she tried to seduce Sherlock, he started deducing her, sexually frustrated, she had fallen in love with a crossdresser that was currently under her transformation process, only one surgery away from becoming a woman, who had left her at the altar or as the Spanish say “compuesta y sin novio” (dressed and boyfriend-less?) ~~By the way, Sherlock speaking Spanish… just fucking kill me, and I thought listening to him speaking in French was fucking hot…~~ ( **Blog!** ), her career was down the drain, and last but not least, she wanted to find the man for whom her boyfriend left her and decided to become a woman.

Her first victim was one of her boyfriend’s boyfriends, and she kept on killing every man that dared to even glance in her boyfriend’s direction. Unfortunately for her, Sherlock had a team outside her flat, and she had to go willingly. Sherlock had the chance to interrogate her, but she was so irked about what he had done that she refused to talk to him any longer; ~~that is until she saw my husband dressed in his bespoke and she wanted him no matter how~~ in the end Sherlock was able to obtain a full confession.   

She was like a black widow, or a mantis, mate and kill. She had successfully killed a dozen men, most of them bisexuals, all of them either strippers or crossdressers at the night club. She lured them to her apartment, offered to take some more pictures, seduced them and eventually killed them while having sex, and continued on having sex with them until she needed a new victim, that’s why she killed one man every three or four days.

She would kill them during the act, using restrains, oxygen deprivation; or as she called it, “the chocking game”. She would tie them before starting the act, and when they were about to orgasm, she would tighten the grip on the restrains and chocked them to death, keeping the m aroused for the next couple of days. According to her, when the lubrication wasn’t enough, and the nerves had died from lack of oxygen, turning her “stiff” (no pun intended) into a soft mush, she would chop them and feed them to a bunch of dogs that live in a kennel near her flat. 

The police found a box of privates, and by privates I mean private parts, mostly penises, in her flat. When asked why she had them, she shrugged and said those were keepsakes (holy fuck! I can’t believe I’m writing about a fucking woman that likes to fuck dead men and photograph herself having sex with them…) ( **BLOG…** ) she wanted to have of her lovers, they also found several photographs of the men she had killed in different stages of decomposition., and she was performing sexual acts with all of them.

The flat looked like a pool of blood, she cleaned it with chlorine, but some parts of the flat were covered in blood, and Sherlock was able to find finger prints of the deceased in some of the pictures, besides finding other fluids and DNA of the deceased, the condemning evidence, beyond the pictures, were the penises in a box 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe I wrote this!!! AFG


	79. Madrid, a mantis, a crossdresser, black heels to die for, John’s second visit to Spain and a deserved rest at the beaches of Lisbon. July 8th to July 23rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where is the case?”  
> “Madrid”  
> “I love Madrid” John pushed Sherlock against the wall of the shower and decided he needed more, he blushed at his own teenager in rut sexual drive, but Sherlock allowed him to do as he pleased, the attempt was successful, because John distracted Sherlock from asking why his husband loved Madrid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter… I hope you enjoy it and I dedicate it to AtlinMerrick, she’s great!  
> Sorry about the derogatory slang…

“Mm?” Sherlock said to the offending phone that had disturbed their sleep.

“Sherlock?” Mycroft’s voice came from the other end

“Myc?” Sherlock shook his head to scare the sleep away “Everything okay?” He yawned and hugged John closer, nuzzling his neck

“I thought you were on your way to the Port of Palma by now” Mycroft sounded distressed

“What happened Myc?” Sherlock sat on the bed and looked out the window “We’re already at Palma, Mummy and Father are probably on board with Bell” He yawned again and stretched “You have a case” He said to the silence on the other side 

“I do” Mycroft sighed and then went silent for a second and Sherlock could hear him talking to Number Four “It’s in Madrid, you want it?”

“Yes, thank you Mycroft; when do I need to be there?”

“The local police has already called Interpol and asked for your help, apparently you’re sort of famous in Spain” Mycroft contained a snort “They are waiting for you in the next few hours”

“Okay…” Sherlock rolled his eyes and shook his head “Send me the details?” He looked at John, still sleeping and having apparently a very good dream because he was bucking his hips up slightly

“Already sent them” Mycroft shifted and Sherlock could hear him giving orders left and right

“Perfect” Sherlock scratched his head “I’ll tell John and will call you as soon as we arrive to Madrid”

“Thank you, Lockie”

“Sure Myc” Sherlock looked at John and he was moving his hand down “Sorry… I have to go… some rising… hum… issues… that require my urgent intervention” He turned his phone off and went under the covers again; John was fully erect and Sherlock would never let a morning erection pass, he tucked and licked until John was wet and he was fully open and sat on top of his husband, riding him; John opened his eyes and simply let Sherlock do as he wanted

“Oh, God” John moaned and Sherlock kissed his neck before he continued bouncing on his lap “I love waking up like this” He caressed Sherlock’s hipbone and thrusted up

“Good… morning… love” Sherlock panted and bounced a couple more times before he came with John’s name on his lips. John thrusted up a couple more times and was coming with a shout of Sherlock’s name

They stayed like that for a couple more minutes before Sherlock started talking “We have a case” He said kissing John’s chest

“Was it a “convenience” shag?” John played with Sherlock’s curls

“More than “convenience” shag” Sherlock quoted in the air “Was a convenient shag, you were having a nice dream, so I decided to take advantage of it… It was very convenient for me” John chuckled and pulled him close, kissing him soundly on the lips

“Are we in Palma already?” John pulled out and left the bed, heading to the loo

“Yes, and Mummy and Father should be here very soon” Sherlock left the bed reluctantly and followed his husband

“Where is the case?”

“Madrid”

“I love Madrid” John pushed Sherlock against the wall of the shower and decided he needed more, he blushed at his own teenager in rut sexual drive, but Sherlock allowed him to do as he pleased, the attempt was successful, because John distracted Sherlock from asking why his husband loved Madrid

After the shower, and a very fulfilling breakfast, they joined their family at the airport at Palma de Mallorca. They arrived to Madrid an hour and a half later and the police was already waiting for Sherlock at Barajas International Airport

Violet and Siger agreed to stay for another couple of weeks with them, mostly because they were really enamoured with Bell and wanted to enjoy as much time as possible with the little girl; thus giving her parents enough time to solve the case. Since Mamie and Gramps gave her so many gifts and spoiled her rotten, Bell had no complains about staying with them.

Like for every other case, their first stop was the police station, where the lead detective for the case had all the files ready for Sherlock; little did he know that Sherlock had read the files on his way to Madrid form Palma and already had narrowed the list of suspects to five.

“You work really fast” The detective said in broken English

“En español está bien 1” Sherlock answered in almost perfect Spanish, dazzling John more than he was already by Sherlock’s capability to speak in as many languages as needed

They talked for about an hour and Sherlock asked the detective to lead them to the nightclub where the men were last seen. He talked to the bartenders, dancers, strippers and singers, they each had ironclad alibies, and the list of suspects went from five to zero in less than an hour. Sherlock went back to their hotel and spent half the night in the sofa, until John went to look for him and dragged him to bed

“You know I don’t sleep during cases, John” Sherlock complained and tried to contain a yawn and hid it behind his hand

“And who says we’re going to sleep?” John licked his lips

“You know I don’t have sex during cases” Sherlock tried to complain but his voice was huskier than he intended

“It might help you clear your mind” John kneeled between Sherlock’s legs and started sucking

“Actually… mm… there… godjohnwaitwaitwait…” Sherlock melted on John’s tongue and came with a mighty shout of his husband’s name. He slept for five hours straight and the moment he woke up he had a solution for the case; he would pose as a backstage dancer, a crossdresser backstage dancer

John was astonished; he couldn’t believe Sherlock was talking about dressing as a woman to capture a murderer, he laughed hard after he heard Sherlock’s plan but when he realised the man was serious, his astonishment and amusement transformed in a conformity shrug, Sherlock would do anything to solve a case and he knew it.

Sherlock spent the entire day looking for stores and supplies until he found one that fitted perfectly with his needs. That night, he went back to the club and started questioning the dancers and crossdressers again, and one thing they had in common was that at some point, all of them had dated a photographer at the club; unfortunately, she only came in the nights when Alma, one of the singers, performed. That was the next night, so Sherlock made a reservation for John, talked to the owner of the club and got a spot on Alma’s show.

The next day, Sherlock talked to Detective Herrera and asked him to find Magdalena, the club photographer; she was working as an event photographer for a small magazine. According to her boss she was about to be fired because she missed a day at work every week, and all she said to justify her absence was that she was doing volunteer work at a kennel, feeding dogs. 

“Come, John. I need to get my dress” Sherlock said to his Doctor a couple hours before he needed to be on stage. John simply looked up at him and started laughing    

“Would you be wearing heels?” John guffawed

“Of course I will” Sherlock glared at John and gave him an annoyed look

“I can’t wait to see that” John couldn’t stop laughing and Sherlock simply walked away, John following him closely

After an hour of not talking, Sherlock pointed to a store and pulled over near the entrance, and simply went out of the car not caring if John was following. John followed, like always, sighing every four seconds, knowing that sooner or later, he’ll have to apologise to his madman for laughing at him for the past hour; but John couldn’t stop laughing. Sure, Sherlock wasn’t as lanky as he used to be, but he still was thin, all arms and legs, and neck and cheekbones and a manly strong face; six foot tall git; and John tried to imagine him as a woman and one of the things he couldn’t fathom was how the detective would hide his otherwise big… he blushed at the thought

The store, as John expected, was a drag store. Sherlock had called ahead and the owner was waiting for the Detective; she had prepared several outfits, wigs and shoes for the detective to try. John ogled the entire time, being distracted briefly by several little outfits he found and had to buy to use with his Detective further ahead, possibly tonight, if he was forgiven

In the end, Sherlock chose a black and silver sleeveless turtle neck cut out back detail with a thigh cut silk and organza maxi dress, a black lace and silk hiding gaff that had John sweating profusely; and black and silver stilettos, all accompanied by a raven blue long straight wig and lots of makeup that made Sherlock look like a lady.

When she… I mean he… I mean… Sherlock left the changing room; John could barely recognise the six foot four inches woman that greeted him with a smirk on her face. He looked stunning; John’s jaw dropped to the floor and he had a sudden urge to jump his husband relentlessly seven ways to Sunday.  

“Okay?” Sherlock batted his fake eyelashes and John just nodded, mouth open, throat dry, no air left in his lungs, he tried to gape but his mouth just stayed there, open, his eyes wandering over Sherlock’s body, looking at the smooth legs, the enticing hips, that freaking cut up to his hip bone, and his bow lips made even more plush and perfect with the red lipstick on them, and his toenails perfectly painted with black polish. For what seemed like an eternity but was less than a minute, John didn’t even blink, raking his eyes up and down Sherlock’s luscious body

John was startled by Sherlock’s hand on his. He pulled his husband out the store and into the car and they went to the nightclub. John was unable to look at the road or the people around them; all he had eyes for was his husband. When they arrived to the club, Sherlock handed John his wedding ring, gave him a quick peck and off he went to dance

John was about to bash a few skulls when a couple of men groped and grabbed Sherlock but he had to remain calm and looking for the photographer. Between shows, Sherlock located her, started talking with her and got an invitation to her flat. John had to cross his legs, wank off a couple of times in the gents, and come back looking for his mad husband, who was leaving the club with the photographer.

John ran behind them, only to find Detective Herrera waiting for him to go to Magdalena’s flat. In less than an hour, Sherlock found evidence of the murders, an arrest was made, and he was still wearing his black and silver organza and silk dress, with that raven blue long straight wig, those freaking stilettos and most of all, that silk and lace gaff. Suffice to say, everything went off that night but the stilettos and the long fake eyelashes that somehow, made Sherlock’s eyes even greyer than anything else.

The next day John wasn’t ready to let his husband go, so they stayed in their suite all day long, hiding away from everyone; phones turned off and bodies turned on. Sherlock tried every single outfit John purchased, selected his favourites, and John, in his infinite patience, allowed him to perform experiments; from the time that took John to get a hard on, to the times he needed to suck, thrust or pull to get John off.

Finally, tired, satisfied, and sore; they fell in their bed and slept for ten solid hours. They woke up to a soft knock on the door; it was Violet with baby Bell, they were waiting for them to go and visit the town.

For the next week they visited every single museum they could from El Prado to Sorolla, taking their time to enjoy the visits. Every hour or so, John would say “I love Madrid” and before Sherlock could ask, they were kissing, until Sherlock refused to be kissed and interrogated his husband the only way he knows how, just the same way he interrogated him in Vienna.

As a result, he found out that John had a term abroad and he had chosen Spain; what Sherlock wasn’t expecting was to find one of John’s many lady friends at one of the museums

“John!” A blonde, busty, short (I detect a pattern) woman called him at the Queen Sofia Art Centre

“Marissa!” John hugged her and kissed both her cheeks

“How are you?” She started the interrogation “What are you doing here?” She grabbed his hand and John let her; Sherlock huffed and walked away to watch the Guernica more closely

“Fine, great” John looked at Sherlock and shook his head, smiling “In my honeymoon” He said and Marissa’s eyes went slightly dark

“Honeymoon?” She looked at him suspiciously and found the wedding ring on his left ring finger “I thought you got married four years ago…” She said, letting go of his hand “Is it a second honeymoon? Where’s your wife?” She looked around

“Yes, honeymoon” John smiled at her “and I got married seven months ago, but we had a case here so we decided to stay a little longer, a little honeymoon trip” He explained “Love?” He called Sherlock with his hand and Sherlock approached them, a huge pout had appeared and he looked cuter than ever “Marissa, this is Sherlock, my husband” Sherlock shook her hand and Marissa simply gaped at him “Sherlock, this is Marissa, we…” He cleared his throat “Studied together, I taught her English and she helped me with my Spanish”

Sherlock greeted her in Spanish and they talked for a little while, John trying to catch up and understanding half of what was said, the only thing he got was Marissa trying to slap Sherlock and walking away furious, John looked at Sherlock questioningly and Sherlock simply shrugged, holding John’s hand in his and kissing it, holding him as close as he could

That night, John asked his husband what the fight with Marissa was all about and Sherlock just said she acted like an arse and that was that; he would never tell John that she called them fags, and that she couldn’t believe Sherlock had turned a bull of a man into a dick riding fag… Another thing Sherlock would never tell John is that he deduced her, drinker, smoker, serial adulterer, jobless and wanting a good story to go back to the magazine; he threatened her with a lawsuit, if he so much as saw a mention about them in any publication.

They spent two more days playing with Bell at the Aqua Park, like the family they are. Bell giggled, John tickled her; he kissed his husband and held his hand, they swam and played until exhaustion was all they had left. Their last day at Madrid, John took Sherlock to El Rastro; a flea market where the detective got lost in everything he saw; they found old records that Sherlock bough for experiments, a pipe, an umbrella, another one for Mycroft’s collection, Sherlock found the perfect gift for John, but he had to hid it. It was a plaque with the city of London at the beginning of the century, 1895, softly carved on it.

For the happy couple, and as a wedding gift; they bought a watercolour of a couple kissing under an umbrella in the rain, and many other Knick knacks for Molly, Mrs. Hudson and their parents. Their last night at the Posada del León de Oro, they shared a nice dinner with Violet and Siger. They had to go back to London the next day and Sherlock decided he wanted to drive his family to Portugal; but the time their security detail noticed they were gone; Sherlock was already pulling over at a restaurant in Badajoz.  

The six hours drive to Lisbon was a breeze; Sherlock had longed driving around, just him and his family; and he was glad that he could get away from Mycroft’s birds at least for a couple of hours. He was used by now to be followed everywhere, but since Jake had left them in Vladivostok, and Eli had taken his place, Sherlock felt uncomfortable; he had planned on telling Mycroft about the man; but his mind had been preoccupied for the last couple of months, with Bell, John, cases and the pictures they received every two weeks of their little baby.

Just like Jake, Eli was in charge of checking them up in their hotels and flats, but much unlike Jake, Eli insisted on security checks every other night, and Sherlock, being Sherlock, was more than uncomfortable with that behaviour. He wanted to call Mycroft but John convinced him otherwise and that was settled. Sherlock had many other things in his mind to be worried about surveillance and security checks; he already knew his brother was listening on them, and he had to be glad that at least for the night, he turned the microphones off.

Instead of staying at a hotel, they had their yacht waiting for them at port, and John was more than happy to be away from the noise for a couple of days. Their time in Madrid, even though he loved the city and the sights, was hectic, and he was tired. They planned just two nights out, one for their “just friends” date, and the other to walk around town holding hands as the lovers they are; the remaining four days, they’ll be spending with Bell, playing with her, reading to her, bathing her, and simply being parents.

Their days in Lisbon passed by slowly; they went to Fatima, at John’s request, in the end they didn’t enjoy the visited and spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, the same happened the next day, the days were too hot for little Bell to walk around, so they spent most their mornings at the yacht, and the afternoons at the beach. On their “Just friends” night out, Sherlock took John to a brewery, and for their lovers’ night they went on a romantic night sightseeing tour of the city. The last day their plane was ready to take them to Lithuania, and Sherlock was more than ready to leave the sun bathed beaches of Portugal for the slightly colder beaches of Lithuania     

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  1 In Spanish is fine


	80. Vilnius. July 23rd to July 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re the only thing that grounds me, the only thing I can’t lose, the only thing that makes me human, and makes me feel, and understand, and feel sad, guilty, contrite… I can’t delete you…” his eyes reflected a sadness John had seen only once in his life, when he married Mary “Caring is not an advantage…” Sherlock muttered and turned away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst, will be resolved soon…ish… promise  
> Really long chapter, too. Hope you enjoy it

_Please, stop! Stop! STOP! Why can’t I talk? I want him to stop, he’s hurting me, he’s hurting me! Mycroft… Mycroft will kill him… What was on that drink? Why can’t I move? It hurts, it hurts… The music is too loud; this room is too dark… I just hope he finishes soon…_

_Where am I? Why is it so dark? Why can’t I move? Is he done? Am I alone here? It’s too dark... It feels like a bed, every wall feels like a bed… I can’t move my arms… Am I tied up? Is he coming back to hurt me again?_

_Mycroft? I have to tell him, but he would kill him… He looks worried… Why am I wearing a strait jacket? Am I in lock down? How long has it been? I have to breathe; I have to focus, maybe if I tell him…_

**He raped me…** _I hear myself say but I don’t recognise my own voice, it’s hoarse and my arms feel numb, they itch everywhere… I miss the cocaine… I see it in his face, he had him murdered… I’m in lock down, they sent me here and locked me down, tied me to a bed, shocked me… they shocked me to bring me back from my mind palace… I‘ve been here too long… I need the cocaine… I have to pretend to be sane… I have…_

Five hours on a plane never hurt anybody… well… that is when you didn’t have a sulking baby that had developed a moderate ear infection because of the air conditioning, and was feverish, bored, tired and in pain; and cried her lungs out just because her parents were trying to keep her still to check on her. Sherlock had the worst part, John checked on her and determined that she had an ear inflammation, and possible infection, he checked her ears, her throat and that was that; Sherlock had to held her and the sulking baby hid away from her Papa for the next hour, barely looking at him and burrowing on her Daddy’s arms. Sherlock just smiled and tried to tousle her hair, but she squirmed away and glared at her father.

Eventually, she fell asleep for a while and gave a rest to her parents; that would have to buy some medication for her to feel better, and since she already hated Sherlock, they decided he’ll be the one holding her to put the drops on her ears. Sherlock looked at his sleeping daughter and felt sorry for her; she was so little, and instead of having a normal life she was being dragged all over Europe with her mad father.

John knew the look and nudged Sherlock softly “This is perfect” He rubbed his cheek “She is perfect” He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms “And you are perfect” He leaned closer and gave Sherlock a soft kiss on the lips “We could be in London, chasing a criminal, and Bell would be alone with Mrs. Hudson or your parents” John leaned his head on Sherlock’s shoulder and held his hand, like they always did “Or she could be with Mary” He held her close “Or not be here at all” He patted her back and the little girl sighed contently

“I’m glad she’s with us; I never imagined Mary leaving her to us; it was a grand gesture” Sherlock petted her sleeping head softly

“Neither could I. It was a huge surprise receiving those documents. I always wonder why Mary decided to leave her to us, less than a year after her death” John was looking down at her

“David was overwhelmed, but it seems to me that it was a rash decision; he didn’t even give it a year to take care of Bell”

“I thought it was suspicious at first, but it’s been five months since Bell is with us and David hasn’t asked for her” John was remembering the day she arrived to their lives

“Mycroft was checking up on him… I think we should get a report on the man and see what he’s up to; but since she’s legally ours, I don’t think he can do much” Sherlock said pensively

“I’ve been meaning to ask” John looked up at his husband “Are we staying in a flat or a hotel?”

“I was thinking about staying in a flat” Sherlock scratched the back of his neck “But with the little lady sick, a hotel might be best, room service and all”

“They wouldn’t mind?”

“No” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek softly “Unlike other countries, we can feel safe in Lithuania and Latvia, even at Estonia, Belarus is not so free, and we might need to be careful in Serbia, and any demonstrations of affection in the Middle East and Africa are strictly forbidden” John sighed and closed his eyes

“Want to tell me what happened while you were in Lithuania?” He squeezed Sherlock’s hand

“There is no much to tell, really” Sherlock shrugged, I stayed in Lithuania for a week, in Vilnius. I met with Mina and Valeria the night I arrived and they stayed with me while I was in Latvia too” He looked out the window and John could see his right hand tremble

“Tell me” John squeezed the trembling hand softly

“It was the last time I felt… safe…” Sherlock closed his eyes “I’ve been gone for two months and I realised how much I needed you with me. After what happened with Lara, the man I had to kill, I knew there was no turning back; that he was the first but that there will be more…” Sherlock shivered “Instead of leaving by train; like Lara and Mikhail assume, I was driven to Vilnius by one of Blanicoff’s men. He had a sudden interest in me, you already know why” Sherlock looked out the window again

“I left Poland in the last hours of the afternoon, six in the afternoon, maybe a little later; and I arrived to Vilnius six hours later, close to midnight. Mina and Valery were at the train station waiting for me, Number Four told them to wait there for a blue car, so they did. They took me to the safe house near the station and I was given several folders, including one from Baron Maupertuis, but Mycroft asked me to wait to get to him” Sherlock’s fingers twitched and John grabbed them, he recognised Serbia’s twitches “My time in Vilnius was relatively easy; I found the men behind an antiquities smuggling ring that trafficked antiquities from Russia to the States and the rest of Europe; they would move objects from Moscow to Latvia, and from Latvia to Lithuania and the rest of the world, that way the object would have two origins instead of one, and if by any chance anything went wrong, they would sent it to Riga or Vilnius and attempt to smuggle it again from other port”

“And you finished up the smuggling ring?”

“Yes, the day I left Riga and went to Ukraine they arrested the men at the port and several smugglers as well. There was no violence, and in fact everything went smoother than expected; fortunately, my name by then wasn’t exactly Victor Geiger so there was no way to blame me for what had happened; as a matter of fact, they blamed Gavrilov”

“Gavrilov? Why?”

“Because the driver that took me from Warsaw to Vilnius was one of his men”

“Hold on, wasn’t he working with Blanicoff?”

“He was two timing both…” Sherlock remembered the young boy and couldn’t help to think he was partly to blame for his death

“What happened to him?”

“He was killed when I arrived to Moscow. Blanicoff made me look when he was executed. He said traitors paid with their head and he was beheaded in front of his family; and his family was killed after” Sherlock’s hand trembled more

“How did you manage to infiltrate the smuggling ring? You had their names?”

“Yes, Blanicoff provided me with some names, Mycroft with others, and I was working as an antiquary. Mina posed as a buyer and Valeria as an art restores and curator; they would ask about rare items, take pictures, appraise them, sent the items to my store, and with that cover I was given the chance to talk to the bosses, find some of the items that had been smuggled and their destinations; with Irene’s help I was able to recover several of the items and return them to Russia without much fuss, though you might have read about a few stolen items recovered in New York and returned to Moscow; that was my doing”     

“Irene helped you?”

“Yes, once she found me in New York she said she had followed the news, the same way Anderson did, and she knew a few smugglers, so they returned the goods to Russia… I don’t know what she said to them or promised them, but I’m still looking for a blue diamond” Sherlock chuckled

“But Anderson thought your last destination was Belgium” John looked confused

“He was wrong, Germany was my second destination, but in the way to Amsterdam I did solve the murder of Mrs. Trephoff, but that wasn’t much of my concern, I was otherwise preoccupied and worried; I simply gave directions to Daniel and he was the one to put Trephoff in jail” Sherlock sighed “I was in Hamburg for less than a day and I solved the crime in less than two hours, a mere four”

“Show off” John stretched and kissed him

“What happened next?”

“Riga was the last time I felt peace. I wrote to you and you answered, you told me all about me, the way you felt, that Christmas was approaching and that you missed me. I actually cried the entire trip to Kiev, the two days…”

“I’m sorry…” John sniffed

“No my love, you encouraged me to continue, because you kept repeating you believed in me” Sherlock turned in his seat and held John and their baby girl in his arms “I knew you were safe and that was fuel enough to keep going, even though I missed you every single second of the eight hundred and eighty days I was away from you” He stroked John’s cheek softly

“There is one thing I don’t get” John let go of Sherlock’s hand and handed Bell to him, his shoulder was stiff and that happened when he made mental calculations of Sherlock’s time away “You left on May 4th, and yet you said you arrived to France a week after the fall… Have you been lying to me?”

“No, John…” Sherlock sighed “I arrived to Paris a week after the fall, and my next stop was Germany. I did all the things as I said I did them,” Sherlock closed his eyes and felt guilt cling to his chest

“Why did you say you were cold, why didn’t I notice that?” John got up and started pacing the plane’s aisle

“It was cold because it was spring, and the summer I spent chasing people around during the nights, and the nights are cold…” Sherlock looked down “And I was cold because…”

“WHAT? YOU FUCKING LIAR! WHAT?” John shouted, furious

“Because I missed you…”

“Don’t” John put a hand up and walked away, siting away from Sherlock 

“Please John, listen to me” Sherlock tried to stand but he had Bell in his arms “I wasn’t lying, but as I told you before; I had to travel by train, car, sometimes I had to walk for hours and days, it took me time to get to other places, sometimes weeks…” Sherlock’s voice was strained, he could feel his eyes welling up with tears, he hadn’t lied; he had told John everything “I did arrive to Moscow in February. I had been traveling for several days and…” Sherlock sighed, it was a lost battle, he decided to stay quiet, there was nothing he could do; except wait to arrive to Vilnius and ask the pilot to take John and Bell back to London

Four hours later the plane landed and Sherlock asked to talk to the Captain; John was still fuming and he had barely talked to Sherlock the entire trip. He approached the Captain to thank him and he heard Sherlock

“My husband would be returning to London soon, you should ask him if he wants to leave right away or wait until morning, but I think it should be prudent to refuel now, it’s a two hours flight anyway” Sherlock’s voice was strained, he sounded tired and defeated

“And what about you, Mister Holmes?” The pilot asked

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to return” He sighed “Thank you, Joseph” He shook the pilot’s hand and descended the plane, one of the attendants handed him a note that said that a black sedan was waiting for them, that due to some schedule issues, the Jaguar was leaving Portugal and the Mercedes was leaving Montenegro. Sherlock rubbed his face; now he had to find a way to get away from Mycroft. Sherlock was about to leave the tarmac when Bell called him

“Daddy!” She cried and Sherlock had to turn, his baby girl was calling for him and running to him, Sherlock went to her and kneeled in front of her, she clung to her daddy and Sherlock had no other choice but get in the car and go to wherever they were supposed to go. They both climbed in the black sedan, not saying a word to each other

He received a text at the same time as the driver

 **Two bedroom suite at Ligonines, Old Town**         

Sherlock put the phone away; his brother knew they had a fight… Sherlock closed his eyes and prepared for the longest ride ever

“You’ve been lying to me the entire time, Sherlock” John said to the window, holding Bell close,

“I haven’t…” Sherlock looked at John pleadingly “I’ve been honest with you. I’ve told you everything, the ways I travelled, how long it took me. It took me over two weeks to arrive to Beijing. I had to stop every fourteen hours to rest, try and sleep; and a trip that would have taken me seven days driving non-stop, twenty four seven, took me twice as much, because trains from Sinkiang leave to Beijing only on Wednesdays…” Sherlock tried “And I drove for three days to arrive from Kazakhstan to Russia, and before that it took me seven days to arrive from Bulgaria to Turkey because the car left me at the frontier and I had to walk to Istanbul for six days…” Sherlock was tired of justifying himself; he climbed out of the car and decided to walk, it was what he knew how to do best

John looked at Sherlock go, get lost in the streets of Vilnius and did the math again in his head. Sherlock had been traveling for quite some time, one day to arrive from London to Paris, a week resting somewhere in France, a day to arrive to Berlin, another day to arrive to Warsaw, six hours to arrive to Vilnius, another three hours to Riga, two days to arrive to Kiev, two more to arrive to Romania, and it took him another day to arrive to Bulgaria, and more… But his six months mark was in China… Sherlock was counting the months he was away from John in other countries, and not the time he had spent travelling to those places… he had lost count, and his six months mark was more an emotional mark than a temporal one… and John had lost count too… The last text he received from Sherlock was close to a year, right before he met her… he had lost count too

‘I am an arsehole of epic proportions…’ John rubbed his face and held Bell closer, the baby crying for her Daddy Sher. He called Sherlock but his phone was off, he clearly didn’t want to be found, at least not for the moment

“Mycroft” John’s voice was trembling

“I know, Doctor Watson” Mycroft’s was irate but was containing himself “There are things he doesn’t remember” He said with a sigh “He wasn’t in France for three weeks, he was there for almost two months; he was so severely injured, not only physically but psychologically that he lost track of weeks at the time” Mycroft tried to explain, and after what happened in Warsaw, with his first kill… That’s why Lara was so worried, because he was disoriented; he spent days at the time in his so called “Mind Palace”, not noticing he was in hospital… Something similar happened after Victor… we had to lock him in a facility for over three months; when he returned it was as if nothing had happened… Try to remember Doctor Watson, he makes stories in this mind palace of his, he completely loses track of time, he asks for a pen while you’re not there because for him you’re always there, and he gets lost in his mind, sometimes for a minute, sometimes for days… You’re the only one that has managed to ground him”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” John’s throat was dry and he felt his lungs turn into fire

“Because it’s not my story to tell, Doctor Watson… you have your secrets, and my brother is entitled to have his… even if he is not aware of having them… For him, he had spent six months away from you, not almost a year, and whenever he realised he had lost time, all was justified by the distances he travelled and how he travelled them… He changed during his time away, and I fear he’ll never be the same” Mycroft sighed heavily “He has lost many things, Doctor Watson, don’t become one of the _things_ he loses, please” Mycroft practically begged

“Where is he?”

“Put the driver on” John did and the driver steered to the left, a few blocks ahead Sherlock was walking aimlessly, his head down, hands in his pockets, and looking the exact way he looked when John returned to his life after Mary, like a defeated man…

“Daddy!” Bell called him from the back seat and Sherlock turned, smiling sadly at her “Please, Daddy?” Bell tried to grab him with her tiny hands and Sherlock relented, climbing back to the car. The driver veered again and they were at the flat in just a few minutes. The flat was fifteen minutes away from the airport, and Sherlock was taking a shortcut there, he would walk for about an hour, giving John time to decide if he wanted to go or stay

“I’m sorry” John said as soon as he closed the door

“Not now” Sherlock picked Bell from John’s arms and kissed her forehead, she was still feverish “What kind of medication do we need for her?”

“We still have some acetaminophen” John closed his eyes and tried to remember how much they had “We might need some more oral suspension, both for her pain and fever; orange juice and just in case some antibiotics and eardrops, but I think we should wait, if she’s still feverish in twenty four hours I’ll use antibiotics” John used his best Doctor voice “She’s been pulling her left ear for the last couple of days, and the plane trip just might have made her pain worst, that’s why she was so fussy” John explained

“Fine” Sherlock gave Bell another kiss and handed her to John before leaving the flat. He returned about an hour later with the medication and food, enough chicken soup for Bell and Chinese for him and John; they had skipped lunch because of the fight and Bell wasn’t really hungry, all she wanted was juice and biscuits, nothing more.

“You brought food” John touched his chest, he was aching, his heart was breaking, Sherlock had barely said ten words to him in the last hour. Sherlock simply nodded; he sat with Bell on his lap and fed her some soup; when the baby was done he sat with her on the sofa and started reciting the Little Prince to her in French, she leaned her head in Sherlock’s chest and fell asleep in his arms. John watched the whole scene from the kitchen, wanting to be there with them, but Sherlock was looking away all the time, when Bell fell asleep he closed his eyes and avoided John the entire afternoon.

Bell’s fever was controlled, but Sherlock decided to stay with her in her room during the night, he didn’t want to sleep with John, at least not for the time being. He put Bell in bed and laid next to her, unable to sleep, the ceiling suddenly more interesting than anything else in the room, he visited his Mind Palace and remembered the padded room, he was there for three months, and remembered those three months vaguely, as if they had never happened, perhaps something similar happened to him while he was traveling; he had no recollection of the week or so after he was rescued in France, and after he stayed in Orleans, perhaps he stayed more than just a day… And he had lost a few days after he killed that man… the first… and he wasn’t exactly sure how long he’d been dying in that basement in New York, or exactly how long he’d mourned Costas; and after John got married… the month seemed like years… and that week in prison after Magnussen… not a week… eons… 

“May I come in?” John looked at them from the door, his eyes red and his face flushed. Sherlock nodded and John sat next to Bell’s sleeping form, caressing her little head and checking for fever “Thank you” He whispered “You’re so good to her that you make it easy to take care of her” John placed a soft kiss on her forehead “You’re amazing” he praised and Sherlock simply sighed “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’m really sorry… I shouldn’t…” He wriggled his hands, wanting to reach for Sherlock

“I was committed to an institution for about three months after what happened with Victor” Sherlock muttered “Apparently not all went as I remember it…” He sighed “I have slight… blackouts” he sniffed “I get in my Mind Palace and time goes by, that’s why I talk to you when you’re not around because in my Mind Palace you’re always there… I would usually close my eyes for what feels like a second, but it turns out that hours have passed, and I think it’s just a minute” He turned to his side to look at Bell “I might have had a few… blackouts… while I was on my mission…” He closed his eyes “Maybe some things were too hard to fathom, until they became something usual and I simply accepted them, for example being tortured and beaten to death, killing people with my bare hands, being yelled at, abused in different ways, insulted… I simply stopped feeling, went to my Mind Palace, deleted the way I felt and kept on going…” He placed a hand over Bell’s back “That’s why I can be as insensitive as I am, because I can… delete… emotions” He rubbed her back softly hearing the baby sigh “But you’re the only emotion I can’t delete. I tried, several times while I was away, when I became a killing machine… a robot…” He looked up at John “You’re the only thing that grounds me, the only thing I can’t lose, the only thing that makes me human, and makes me feel, and understand, and feel sad, guilty, contrite… I can’t delete you…” his eyes reflected a sadness John had seen only once in his life, when he married Mary “Caring is not an advantage…” Sherlock muttered and turned away

John sat there for what seemed like hours; looking at his husband’s back, not knowing exactly what to do “I killed a man with my bare hands” He croaked “I don’t remember much, but what I remember is closing my eyes for a second and the next thing I have all of my men trying to pull me away from a guy on the floor” His voice was devoid of emotion, a machine talking “He was hitting his little boy with a cane and I just lost it… when I realised what I had done, he was dead” He shuddered and sought comfort in Bell’s curls “They all said it was self-defence because the man saw me approaching and had a knife, he tried to stab me and that’s when I broke his neck… but I don’t remember”  His left hand was trembling and his leg was aching “After I was shot I died twice… I don’t know how but they brought me back… I saw my mum and my dad and I wanted to go with them, just let go… but something kept telling me that I needed to stay… and then I found you…” He kept petting Bell’s head “You’re right…” He stood “Caring is not an advantage…” That night, neither slept, and they both cried until they had no more tears; John trying to figure out what his next move should be, and Sherlock trying to delete all the love from his Mind Palace

They tried to enjoy the sights in Vilnius, the museums were amazing, and even though they hurt, Sherlock made sure that John visited museums he would like, the cinema museum, the national museum; he even booked a trip on a hot air balloon, simply because he knows how much John loves to fly. On the other hand, John was decided to make Sherlock feel at least a little better and they spent an entire day at the botanical garden; with Mycroft’s help John managed to get Sherlock time to experiment with plants and bees and whatever he wanted; thinking of Bell they pretended to enjoy a day at the Dinosaur Park and the Uno Park

Unfortunately, by night Sherlock would sleep with Bell or in the sofa… John’s shoulder… John would cook for them, Italian every night, just to make sure Sherlock would eat, and they would exchange the necessary words, no more and if possible less… Their last night in Vilnius, exhaustion got the best of them and they actually slept; but in the middle of the night, Sherlock could hear John calling him; the urgency to console his husband was stronger than the pain he felt; he picked his violin and started playing until John’s cries turned into a soft sob and eventually a steady breathing                                     


	81. Latvia. The “D” Word. July 28th to August 4th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock couldn’t believe what had just happened, just like that John had signed divorce papers and had ended their marriage; and not only that, they had lost their children and their money in less than ten seconds. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, his whole world was crumbling in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny angst… he… :P kinda…

They boarded the plane in absolute silence, the only sound Bell’s gurgles as she played with her plush toys. John pretended to read the whole time, while Sherlock pretended to work, and the fifty minutes seemed like fifty hours in the end, both were exhausted and moody, this had been the longest fight they had, and this was the first time in their entire relationship they had slept apart willingly, if you can call staring at the ceiling for hours sleeping…

Mina and Valeria were waiting for them at the airport, Mycroft had come up with a solution for the two stubborn arseholes to finally step out of their heads and talk, he was going to keep them apart and see if they would talk to each other, at least for Bell’s sake. Valeria handed them a document that said that they shared joint custody of Bell and that for the remaining of the trip, as long as it might be, they will be sharing the baby but not the flat.

John would be going, only with Bell, to all the museums he wanted, and Sherlock will be going with Bell, to all the parks he wanted. The little girl’s sleeping arrangements will be solved in a very easy way, one night with Sherlock, one night with John, considering they’d be staying across the street from one another, and as soon as they landed in London, they’ll each have the baby for a week at the time, and they wouldn’t be allowed to live in different quarters of the city, in fact, they’ll have to live at walking distance, until the kids grew up; the time with the peanut will be divided in the same way, pending on the decision of leaving the baby with the mother.

John had the first night with Bell; Mina took John to his flat and she was supposed to wait for him until he decided where he wanted to go; in the meantime, Sherlock went with Valeria to his flat and she had to make sure he had no contact whatsoever with John, unless it was about Bell. They both left their flats at the same time, and to everyone’s surprise, they chose the same museum to visit first, they bumped into each other at the Art Museum of Riga. Bell latched to their hands and they walked the entire museum in that fashion; Bell deciding where to go and what to see; by the end of the visit, Mina and Valeria were there to take them to their next destination

The next couple of days they bumped into each other at the Munchhausen Museum, the planetarium, the zoo and the water park; there were longing glances, hand grazing, more “thanks yous” and “pleases”, until that fateful afternoon at an equestrian park. Bell was riding her own horsey, Daddy Sher was in another, and Daddy John was deciding between a roan mare and a roan stallion. In the end, he chose the stallion and off he went to gallop with his family.

Everything was perfect, the sunset was beautiful, Bell was happy, Sherlock was smiling and John was relaxed, for the first time in days; sure they weren’t talking, but they were… relaxed; that is until John’s stallion decided he wanted to run and take his rider with him. John is not an expert, Sherlock is, and off he went, Sherlock riding his black stallion following the crazy arse horse that was taking the love of his life away. Sherlock managed to stop the wild horse before the terrible accident that was bound to happen, happened.

He tied John’s horse to his and made John ride with him on his own horse; he held him close, planted a kiss on his cheek, sighed and rested his head on John’s shoulder; John leaned his head on Sherlock’s chest and closed his eyes. They rode for a while, just the two of them, no words, just gestures; unfortunately for them, Mina and Valeria were on a mission; make sure that it wasn’t just because of the scare that they seemed to be back together.

In order to keep the charade, Mycroft sent them both divorce papers and arranged a meeting at a café. Mina and Valeria will be sitting a few tables apart to monitor their behaviour.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” John shouted at the phone

“Calm down, Doctor Watson” Mycroft ordered “I simply assumed that is what you both wanted and went ahead with the papers; you seem to be adjusting well to life without one another, and for my niece’s sake, I think is best if you separate now; it’s not a good environment for her having her parents barely speaking to one another for days; she’s young, she’ll adjust” Mycroft would have laughed but he was on a mission “Although… come to think of it.. Since I’m your kids’ guardian, I might as well take them both and let you visit them every other week just a few hours at the time, separately and under strict surveillance” He was smirking, he had them where he wanted them “By the way, I’ll divide your estate amongst your children the moment you sign the divorce papers”

“What?” John let out in a single, disbelieving, breath

“Sorry, Doctor Watson; I have to go” Mycroft ended the call and answered the phone to his brother. The conversation was the same and Sherlock was left struck-dumb, not knowing what had struck him. Since any communication between them was forbidden, they had to wait for the night and for the conciliation dinner Mycroft had planned.

They sat awkwardly across one another, looking everywhere but at each other. Mina and Valeria delivered the papers and a pen, then sat at another table, waiting

“Here” Sherlock pushed the pen and papers towards John

“You first” John shook his head and pushed back

“No…” Another push

“No?” John looked at him hopefully

“Look…” Sherlock rubbed his face “I know it wasn’t a silly fight; I know that when you’re hurt you yell and shout abuse to me; and I know that when you’re angry you leave…” He sat back and crossed his arms and legs “But I also know that usually after an hour or so, you reflect and ask, and we talk; but I had to endure a four hours flight with you looking everywhere but at me…” Sherlock’s right hand trembled “And that simply won’t do… That’s not… us…” Sherlock tried to breathe but the tightness in his chest threatened to kill him “And when I needed time to be alone…” Sherlock shook his head “You called my brother and used my daughter to have me stay”

“And you said to me that caring is not an advantage” John was starting to feel irate, as if all was his fault and Sherlock couldn’t understand from where the anger was coming

“And we can stay here all night fighting about who said what” Sherlock interrupted the storm for a few more seconds “Caring is not an advantage, John”

“Sherlock… Don’t…” John was about to cry

“Is not an advantage when the other person doesn’t care about you” He reached for the pen “You have every right to be angry at me, with me, whatever…” Sherlock reached for the papers “And you have every right to yell, to shout abuse at me, to be your own man… I’m used to that already, and wanting to change you, asking you to change, was my mistake” He moved to the last page and placed the pen on the line over his name “That makes me the worst man ever, because that means that my promise to love you as you are is a lie; and you’re right: I’m a fucking liar” His hand trembled but he steadied it over the paper “I wanted you to take me for who I am in spite of what you feel and think and that won’t do, because if I take away what makes you, that voice in my head that tells me what’s good and a bit not good, then I’m left with nothing, that’s why caring is not an advantage, because you not only start caring for others, but for yourself, and caring for me is… overwhelming…” Sherlock tried to steady his hand but this time it was almost impossible, John reached for Sherlock’s hand and pulled the pen away from Sherlock’s fingers

“If you’re a liar I’m an arsehole” John looked at their hands, enjoying the feeling of Sherlock’s hands in his after what seemed like centuries “I was confused and I felt betrayed; as if you had kept bits of information from me because you couldn’t trust me with it; and I wanted to change you too; I want you to eat, to sleep, to be polite, to be someone you’re not, to be the complete opposite of the man I fell in love with” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “We’re entitled to our own secrets, our own darkness; and I’ve systematically taken away that dark side of yours that made me fall in love with you in the first place, that halo of mystery that surrounds you whenever you’re wearing your Belstaff and your blue scarf, that sexy darkness of yours” John blushed “I turned you into a man that sleeps when I say so, eats what I give you to eat, you’ve become a father even when you clearly said you despise children, and you go far and beyond to make me happy” He picked the pen and placed it on the line over his name, his hand strangely firm “You’re right, Sherlock, caring is not an advantage, especially when I can’t take care of you the way you deserve” John closed his eyes and signed the papers.

Sherlock couldn’t believe what had just happened, just like that John had signed divorce papers and had ended their marriage; and not only that, they had lost their children and their money in less than ten seconds. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, his whole world was crumbling in front of him. Mina and Valeria looked at each other and Mina’s phone started vibrating relentlessly. It was Mycroft, and he was about to send a whole team to kill John Watson.

John pushed the pen between Sherlock’s fingers and pushed the papers between his elbows. Sherlock steadied his breathing and picked the pen, he looked for his name and before he signed he looked down at John’s “signature” _I’m sorry. I love you_. Sherlock smiled softly and he “signed” the papers too _I’m sorry too. I love you_. Mina and Valeria were out of their minds, under Mycroft’s orders they approached the table and the boys handed them the envelope containing their “divorce” papers; the two women left the restaurant, not knowing what to do except send the envelope back to Mycroft

John laughed and Sherlock followed, they looked at each other and held hands for a while before deciding it was time to be home. They left the café walking hand in hand, enjoying the silent company for the first couple of blocks

“Would you have signed those papers?” John asked, kissing Sherlock’s hand

“Only if you would have” Sherlock answered and kissed John’s hand

“I would have never signed them” He leaned his head on Sherlock’s arm

“Neither would I” Sherlock leaned his head on top of John’s

“I bet Mycroft is going mental right now” John laughed

“I bet he is” Sherlock smirked “You scared me to death yesterday” Sherlock hugged John by the waist

“I was scared shitless” John put his arm around Sherlock’s waist and leaned on him “But somehow I knew you’ll be there for me” He looked up and kissed Sherlock’s cheek

“I’ll always be there for you, John” Sherlock pulled him in an embrace “I’m sorry for not telling you about the black outs, and for confusing your otherwise impeccable time line, and I’m sorry for wanting to change you, when what I love the most about you is you being your own self” He whispered in John’s ear “And I like me now more than I ever liked me before; sleeping an eating helps me when I need to think. Now that I eat I don’t black out as I used to do; and I’ve discovered that when I sleep more than three hours, I think faster and solve puzzles better because my mind is not tired, and not having to think about hunger pains help too… a lot” Sherlock kissed John’s ear shell “I am a better man because of you, John Watson, and I thank you for that” He sighed and nuzzled John’s neck

“I’m sorry for wanting to change you and calling you a liar, and not allowing you to explain. I’m sorry for trying to turn you into someone you’re not, when what I love the most about you is the man I met, the one that had me head over heels since the first moment I met him” John squeezed him and sighed, filling his nose with Sherlock’s scent, the scent of home “I love the man I am now, more reflexive, calm, able to trust and forgive, and that’s all thanks to you; I don’t think I’m different, I think I’m better; and if you love the man you are, then I love him too, with all my heart, and forever; and if you love the man I am now… I’ll be the happiest, luckiest sod over the face of the earth”

“I love all of you, John, everything about you, the man you are, the man you were, and the man you’re going to be. We’re growing together” Sherlock rubbed his face against John’s cheek

“I missed you” John looked up at Sherlock

“I missed you too” Sherlock looked down and locked gazes with John

The kiss was sweet, soft, like their first kiss, John’s legs and arms stopped working and Sherlock was holding him so close that he could feel Sherlock’s heart beat as if it were his own, the only sane part of his body were his lips and the world around them simply stopped spinning and froze in that moment where only the two of them existed

John could feel his lungs fill with air for the first time in days, and the pain they had in their shot shoulders disappeared the moment their lips touched. They stayed there, lips together, just breathing each other for a long moment and then they both started giggling, they hugged while they walked and John looked up at Sherlock “What time is it?” He asked, fishing for his pocket watch

“Half past seven” Sherlock looked at his watch “Why?”

“I have a little surprise for you” John kissed his cheek “Remember the House of Secrets in Oslo?” Sherlock nodded “Well, I’ve found three games like that one here in Riga, and if we hurry, you can play all three; the rules are the same, are you game?”

“Of course!” Sherlock beamed “And after that we can kidnap our daughter, get on a bus and be in Tallinn before dawn”

“I’d like that” John leaned up for a kiss “But you know what I would like most?”

“Sleep?” John nodded “Let’s go to bed then, we can go to the games tomorrow” Sherlock gave him another sweet kiss

“Your house or mine?” John chuckled

“Yours” Sherlock held him close “Bell’s there”

They walked back to John’s flat and found a little Chinese on the way; they bought some food and arrived shortly after. Tim left them and they ate in front of the telly, holding hands, sharing little kisses until all they could think about was sleep. They held each other all night, as close as they could, arms and legs tangled, fingers entwined.

The next morning before they could make a run, Mina and Valeria were there with breakfast and ready to have some questions answered.

“All right, Sherlock; please explain” Mina looked at him with an exasperated face

“Explain?” John looked at her

“Yes, explain” Valeria looked at them both, at their hands and the love struck expression

“About?” Sherlock shrugged

“The elephant in the room” Mina glared at him

“You two? And the little one?” Valeria added

“I thought you already understood that, since you were part of the plot to have us back together”

“All we did was follow Mister Holmes' orders” Mina excused herself “Number Four said to do as he asked and so we did” She sighed heavily “But we had no idea that you were married and that you had a daughter!” She almost yelled “We called Lara and she said that we should talk to you, that it was the right thing to wait for you to tell us the whole story, so…” She glared at him again

Sherlock chuckled and shook his head, his friends were right. He pulled John close and gave him a kiss to die for, that left him panting and breathless for a little eternity. John smiled up at him and rubbed his cheek before turning back to see the gaping women.

“Mina, Valeria, this is my husband, John” John shook their hands “John, these are Mina” he pointed to a tall, thin, green eyed brunette “And Valeria” He pointed to another tall, slightly corpulent, blue eyed red haired woman They’ve been together since the day they met, which is the day I first arrived to Vilnius” Both girls blushed and Mina grabbed Valeria’s hand in hers

“It’s very nice to finally meet you, properly” John hugged them “Sherlock told me all about you and how you helped him. Thank you very much for all you did this past week” He patted their shoulders

“It’s so nice to meet you too, John” Mina gave him another hug “And you…” She hugged Sherlock “I’m so glad to see you’re doing so fine!”

“Me too!” Valeria hugged him from the other side, kissing him on the cheek several times “I was so worried about you; and when Lara called and said you went under the radar in Serbia” She took a shaky breath

“I’m fine now” Sherlock petted her head “Thank you” he kissed her cheek “An you’ve already met the little one” Sherlock pointed at little Bell who was playing on the floor with her colouring book “Her name is Isabelle” He pulled his phone out “And this one here” He showed them the picture of the sonogram “Is our little peanut” He said proudly

“When?” Mina didn’t have the words

“We’re due by January” John patted Sherlock’s stomach and laughed, and the Detective simply rolled his eyes in mocked annoyance “And the little lady will be three in January too”

“How long have you been together?” Valeria was looking at Bell longingly

“Two years and six months, on the twelfth” Sherlock said, kissing John again

“You’ve been married for two years?” Mina’s eyes widened in surprise

“No” John chuckled “We’ve been married for nine months” 

“Nine months?” Valeria tried to do the math in her head

“Let’s have breakfast” John patted Sherlock’s buttock and went to the kitchen “We can talk more over it” He smiled at the women

They shared a rather long breakfast, talking about what had happened, how, when, what they’d been doing and correlated the dates, for both their sakes. They even explained to them the reason behind the fight and they explained to John what had happened with more accuracy that Sherlock had

“He was slightly disoriented when he arrived; Lara called and said that he had slept for almost five days after what had happened with her and the man he had killed” Mina told John

“And Jacques explained to us that he was… prone… to black out?” Valeria bit her lower lip and made a questioning face

“That’s what Lara said too; apparently he just stayed in the same position for hours, unresponsive, and when he came too, he would ask where you were and then he would remember what he was supposed to be doing and after that he’ll be back to that strange state of mind” Mina grabbed Sherlock’s hand in hers “I’m just glad we didn’t have to face that… Lara was so worried…” She looked down

“And when you went missing in Serbia, she called and she was desperate” Valeria grabbed his other hand “She called us after you left to Egypt and said you needed help. Mina went to Poland and met with Lara, I couldn’t go because I was on a case. I couldn’t go… I’m so sorry” She apologised

“I know” Sherlock looked at her tenderly “Don’t worry about it” He squeezed her hand “Alec told me” He smiled at her and she smiled back

“We were planning on going to a game room” John said, wanting to change the subject “Want to join us?” He asked and they both nodded “And then you can tell us your story" He smiled at them

They went to the three escape games and as usual, Sherlock solved them in less than twenty minutes, but he allowed the girls to solve them in their own time. While they moved from one place to the other, the girls told them they were planning on moving to Amsterdam to get married. Sherlock offered to help immediately and told them that they could stay at their flat in Amsterdam for as long as they wanted

John looked at him questioningly, and his eyes asked “What flat in Amsterdam?”

“A flat in Amsterdam?” Valeria asked

“Yes” Sherlock looked at John apologetically “It was a surprise for John; I was planning on telling him on our first anniversary, but since you’re planning on moving there; this is as good a time as any” He gave him a kiss and John simply shook his head and smiled up at him

“We’d love too!” Mina hugged them “Thank you!” She gave Valeria a kiss and everyone around them looked at the girls curiously “Still getting used to us” She sighed and shrugged

“At what time are you leaving?” Valeria checked her watch

“Any time” Sherlock shrugged “It’s only fifty minutes after all” He answered nonchalantly

“We’ll have you at the airport by three” Mina told them and both nodded. They spent the rest of the morning between mystery rooms, they shared lunch and they had them at the airport at the planned hour. They promised to visit them often once they moved to Amsterdam, and Sherlock promised to do the same as soon as they returned from their trip 


	82. Tallinn. Just a bit of domestic Life. August 4th to August 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Would you forgive me?” John asked between kisses to Sherlock’s chest, down to his hipbones  
> “There is nothing to forgive, my love” Sherlock answered between gasps “Would you forgive me?” He asked breathless  
> “There is nothing to forgive, my love” John answered between more kisses

Unlike their trip to Riga, the trip to Tallinn was exiting; they needed to be together more than anything, and knowing that they’ll be landing before four in the afternoon, just by the time of Bell’s nap; had them even more excited and giddy; the night before they had simply slept in each other’s arms, but now, with the built up need of two weeks away, they were like teenagers on rut.

When they arrived to the hotel, the Schlössle, they had a surprise waiting for them; since their suite was still occupied, and will be for the next couple of days due to a slight change of plans with the current occupants; the hotel upgraded them to the presidential suite, a two bedroom suite with Jacuzzi and sauna. The best part was the in-suite dining area which meant they wouldn’t have to worry about going out for breakfast or dinner, and only worry about lunch.

The room was perfect, and Bell was already asleep; the placed the girl in her room and decided to wait until night, knowing that they’ll be needing more than twenty minutes. They explored the suite, checked on the sauna and sat to wait for little Bell to wake up. In the meantime, Sherlock finished some emails to Greg and Gustav; John answered a few comments on his blog and showed Sherlock some of the cases he had in his inbox. The detective solved the easy ones in the time that took Bell to wake up and ask to go to the park.

That night, after Bell’s nightly ritual, they decided to relax in the sauna for a while, ending up at the Jacuzzi where Sherlock gave John one of his magical massages, relaxing his tense shoulders and getting reacquainted with John’s back, neck, waist, scar… Sherlock trailed down John’s neck to his arms with kisses and sorrys, and John turned in his arms and traced Sherlock’s back with more kisses and forgive-mes. Instead of growing in passion the kisses grew in tenderness and John led his husband to their bed after long hours of simply kissing one another

“Would you forgive me?” John asked between kisses to Sherlock’s chest, down to his hipbones

“There is nothing to forgive, my love” Sherlock answered between gasps “Would you forgive me?” He asked breathless

“There is nothing to forgive, my love” John answered between more kisses to Sherlock’s knees and thighs. He was about to start working Sherlock open but stopped himself and looked at Sherlock’s eyes “Are you sure?” He asked, not wanting to take anything for granted

“Yes, John” Sherlock smiled at him “I’ve missed you in every way” He rubbed John’s cheek and pulled him up for a kiss “Please, my love” Sherlock kissed John repeatedly “Make love to me” He let out a shaky breath that stopped John’s heart for several seconds

“Thank you” John whispered softly in Sherlock ear and started kissing down his neck. He looked for their bottle and covered his fingers, going under Sherlock and working him open. John took his time, making sure Sherlock was comfortable, fighting the urge to possess. When Sherlock was ready, John pushed in as gently as he could, enjoying every single second of it; looking at Sherlock, locking gazes, sharing soft kisses “I love you” they repeated with every thrust, elongating the pleasure as much as possible, until all that was left was follow the bliss.

“Morning, gorgeous” John scratched Sherlock’s head softly, waking his husband slowly

“Morning, handsome” Sherlock kissed John’s chest and nuzzled his nipple “Want some breakfast?”

“Yup. I’m starving”

“The usual?” Sherlock reached for the towel that lay forgotten on the floor

“Nope” John shook his head “If I have the usual we’re never leaving this bed” He licked his lips, making Sherlock shiver and look away, chuckling softly

“Pancakes, Doctor Watson-Holmes?” Sherlock bit his lip and winked at John. John nodded and left the bed, looking for the other towel that was lost somewhere on the floor. He opened the door and found Bell on the floor, colouring and playing with her tiger and her owl, waiting patiently for them. The little girl had turned the telly on and the noise from it distracted her while she coloured away

“Good morning, beautiful” John nuzzled her neck and made the little girl giggle

“Mornin Daddy” Bell hugged him and let his father carry her

“Did you sleep well?” John asked her and Bell nodded

“Good morning, baby love” Sherlock got her from John’s arms and held her close

“Hi Daddy” She smooched him loudly

“What do you want to do today?” Sherlock placed the little girl on his hip, holding her close while he ordered breakfast over the phone

“Park, Daddy” Bell answered quickly, making them both chuckle

“Park it is” Sherlock gave her a kiss on the forehead

“Are we really going to the park?” John asked as he straightened up a little before the maid arrived with their breakfast

“Anything with a tree is a park for her, love” Sherlock put Bell on the floor and handed her the owl

“Yeah…” John looked at their daughter fondly “What are our plans, then?”

“Breakfast, shower, and then I was thinking you might like to go to the History Museum; there is a dragon there that tells the Estonian history, I think Bell might enjoy seeing him”

“I don’t really want to go to a museum” John shook his head “She’s been pulling her ear again, and I’m afraid it has to do with the air conditioning” John look worriedly at Bell “And you know they turn the air conditioning during summer in almost every museum” he scratched his jaw

“Then?”

“I don’t feel like being at the botanical garden the entire day either, or a park, as a matter of fact; what else is there to do here?”

“I’ve checked all the children-friendly experiences and if we rule out the museums and parks all we have is the Zoo, but that’s a park too…” Sherlock picked the complimentary tablet and checked the town information “We have a sweater for her; and maybe we can use ear plugs, that way she might be more comfortable; either way, no matter where we go, there’ll be air conditioning”

“I think we should get more ear drops, just in case; the ones that helped her sleep the other night” John checked Bell’s ear and it was red and slightly swollen “Her throat is fine” He checked her mouth “At least it’s just her ear” He gave her a kiss

“Museums?”

“Yeah” John sighed “Kiddy museums” He shook his head and went to open the door to receive their breakfast

The maid glanced at the room and then at them, she shook her head and rolled her eyes, but before she left she just said “kummeli õli”. John looked at Sherlock, brows furrowed, fearing the worst and Sherlock simply chuckled, giving him a soft kiss on the lips and laughing at his confused and angry expression

“Kummeli õli” Sherlock repeated and laughed again “Camomile oil” He smiled at John “Warm Camomile oil, for her ear”

“Right…” John looked pensive for a moment “Anti-inflammatory” He smiled “And we have some camomile infusion too. I’ll mix it with her juice”

“She’ll be fine” Sherlock tousled Bell’s curls

“Ready for the museums?” John nodded “First stop will be the zoo adventure park; she can play all she wants, and from there we can decided, if the sun’s to high we can simply come back to the hotel and find something for her to play, and we could help Greg with a few cases too” Sherlock proposed

“Let’s see how she feels” John started feeding Bell and the little girl kept her hand on her ear “But first let’s get that oil” He checked her ear again “Hand me the medicine?” John stretched his hand and Sherlock handed him the bottle “Hold her?” Sherlock shook his head; he never liked giving Bell medicine

“I have a better way” He cleaned a spoon and covered it with syrup “Here” he handed the spoon to John and Bell opened wide taking her medicine without much fuss.

They finished breakfast and spent the morning at the Zoo, Bell played with her parents but the heat was too much for her. Sherlock took her away from the sun and John followed. The rest of their days were spent at “kiddy” museums, the Miiamilla where Bell played and painted while her parents read and solved a few cases for Greg. At the science museum, Sherlock enjoyed as much as Bell, and John was worried, not for his little toddler, but for his big toddler, that wanted to perform every experiment available, had a fight with a four year old for a spot at one of the workshops intended for kindergarten groups.

John had to apologise, profusely, and had to drag his husband away from the offending four year old that was currently in a tongue stick-out war with him. Sherlock was a sight, and John couldn’t help but laugh at his quirkiness; He ended up taking both of them to the planetarium, and solving the issue with a visit to a café, ice cream for Bell, and chocolate for Sherlock

Their last visit before leaving Estonia was the Maritime Museum, and something similar happened there, but this time over a pot at the submarine; John had to drag Sherlock out of the submarine and had him wait until all the children had played with the periscope. Sherlock decided to start a sulk-a-ton, and John had to find other activities for his six foot tall two year old toddler.

“If you stay calm for at least twenty more minutes, I guarantee you won’t be able to sit for at least a week” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear after the umpteenth time he sulked for not being able to join Bell in one of the tours

“Promise?” Sherlock’s eyes glittered

“Pick a flavour” Was John’s only answer

That night, their last night in Tallinn, Bell was extremely fussy and it took them twice as much to get her to sleep, she was in pain, had a bit of fever and was tired but not sleepy. They fed her, bathed her and the only thing they had left to do was put her to bed, their bed. Sherlock picked his violin and started to play, while John went to look for some more medicine for her       

“Are you playing “twinkle, twinkle little star”?” John looked at his husband with widened eyes

“Twinkle what?” Sherlock looked at John questioningly

“The song you were just playing, it’s called “Twinkle, twinkle little star” Didn’t you know” John chuckled, knowing that if he snorted he’ll be in trouble

“I was starting to play Mozart’s Variations K two sixty five, John” [(Twinkle, Twinkle)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bK9h12Qdvs)He resumed his playing and Bell looked at her father with drowsy, happy eyes “She likes it” He said while he swayed with the music

“Mozart, right… What was I thinking” John shook his head, rolling his eyes, he shrugged and let his husband play for their daughter

Once the baby was asleep, Sherlock moved her to her own bed; he gave a simple glance over to John and flashed him with that smile of his that’s could be blamed for melting the poles. John was swoon in an instant and Sherlock sat next to him in the sofa and rested his head on his shoulder. He walked with his fingers along John’s arm to John’s ear, leaning closer he grazed John’s ear with his lips and whispered “You made a promise to me”

John shivered, closing his eyes, letting out a shaky breath; he could feel arousal growing unstoppable in his belly “What do you want me to do?” He managed to whisper back, his voice lower and huskier than he intended

“Whatever you want” Sherlock breathed in his ear again, and this time his wet lips touched John’s earlobe

“You’re going to be the death of me, Sherlock Holmes-Watson” John stood from the sofa and gave his hand to Sherlock, having him follow to their room


	83. Minsk. August 8th to August 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Maupertuis wanted to capture me; it was a wild hunt, I had… killed...” John could feel Sherlock’s breath hitch “Several men and women…” he was finding it hard to breathe again but tried, nevertheless “In order to get close to the heads of the organisation; and once I was done, I had helped others rid of these… heads… obviously, Maupertuis wanted mine; being the last in Moriarty’s organisation with any power left, he needed to get rid of the pest, and definitely take over before anyone else did”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis was a French scientist that firmly believed in survival of the fittest. I've researched him and what I wrote for this and the next couple of chapters relate a bit to his investigation and some of Mengele's... Sorry for this next few chapters... As always, thanks for reading, Love you all

“I’ve been at Belarus three times” Sherlock was holding John’s hand as if his life depended on it “My first time in Minsk was right after Shan, and you were with… her… and I came to see…”

“The man they hanged for killing his girlfriend” John interrupted him “I always wondered why you came...” He looked down “Now I know…” he whispered

“Hey…” Even in his distress, Sherlock lifted John’s chin and made him look up “Remember that we agreed that the past was the past?” Sherlock gave him a quick peck and John felt utterly guilty. He could see his Detective’s eyes growing sombre, a possible episode on the way. He’d seen it loom over his Detective since they left Tallinn, and all the way to the hotel from the airport; he was only waiting for a reaction worst that the one Sherlock had had in Sarajevo

“Yes, my love” John breathed and shifted them in the bed, so he was holding Sherlock to his chest, able to see his face, carding his fingers on his curls and holding one of Sherlock’s hands. They had arrived two hours ago, and had to wait while the manager at the Beijing prepared their room. Mycroft had called John an hour before they left Tallinn and had asked him to go to that specific hotel.

The suite at the Beijing was all they needed; a two bedroom suite, with a strategically placed cot on “John’s” bedroom and all the privacy they could ask for. Tim had a room across from them, just in case, mostly in case John might need him to take care of little Bell. Mycroft was worried; Mummy had called him about Sherlock’s episode in Sarajevo and he was certain that at some point, maybe when they arrived to Serbia, he might need to go and stay with his brother, and probably send him to hospital

“Please, take care of him” Mycroft had begged, and John was prepared to deal with whatever came their way. He’d started to deal with the episode before it began, noting how his detective shied away at the smallest of sounds, his silence as they boarded the plane, and the way he curled against him as they sat next to each other during the flight. Somehow, John knew the solution was having Sherlock talk about his time away, facing the awful ghosts that towered over him, threatening his sanity

“As I told you before” Sherlock continued the broken conversation they had over the two and a half hours of flight and the fifty minutes ride to the hotel “the second time I visited Minsk was briefly on my way to Kiev, to talk to a contact, the woman that in the end led me to Moriarty’s men in Belarus. She was one of the many women that had been threatened with their families being killed if they didn’t do as asked” John didn’t move, he simply kept on rubbing softly Sherlock’s head “The third time, I took a train from Prague and it took me almost a day to arrive to Minsk. Jacques was with me and Mikhail joined us later when the train made a brief stop at Warsaw” Sherlock shivered and John squeezed his hand softly; he had a bin ready for Sherlock, he kept on checking his forehead for any sign of fever, and he even had some alcohol in case his Detective fainted.

“Do you want to continue tomorrow, love?” John kept on rubbing Sherlock’s head as he controlled his breathing, using his stomach to soothe Sherlock in the same way he was using his hands. Sherlock shook his head and basked for a brief second on the sound of John’s heart in his ear, the soft feeling of his ear pressed to John’s bare stomach, John’s hand in his hand and his hair, and the feeling of John breathing slowly and steady, trying to soothe him

“Belarus was the beginning of the end. I knew that the mission I had set up to accomplish was about to end; I was closing in the few men that still had any relation with Moriarty, and at the same time I knew it could be my end, that it could be my final mission, because I had Moran hot in my heels” Sherlock couldn’t stop his trembling hand a John squeezed a bit harder “While we were on the train, Mikhail, Jacques and I discussed about the things we’ll need to do before they captured me” Sherlock tried to breathe but his chest was tight

“Capture you? Why?” John’s hand stilled briefly but continued with the soft rubbing shortly

“Maupertuis had put a price on my head, not as Sherlock Holmes, because I was supposed to be dead, but on the man that had been killing and capturing Moriarty’s men, and finishing with his smuggling ring. He was one of the men I’ve been following since France without knowing it, and he was one of the most dangerous men I’ve ever encountered. As vicious as Magnussen, as mad as Moriarty, as dangerous as Mary; Maupertuis was a genius, a technology whiz, like Moriarty, but even more dedicated than him, he was not only a mathematician and a physicist, he was also a chemist and a geneticist; an all-around mad scientists He had developed a gene that allowed him to genetically manipulate pregnant women in their early stages and create children to serve strange purposes; he was an Arian, a firm believer of “pure race”, and he was planning on creating “pure” children, manipulated genetically to be “perfect”, he believed he had to be part of the “natural selection” process creating better humans”

“No…” John shook his head, absolutely distressed; Moriarty was insane, and had associated with even crazier people. Mary being a vicious assassin, and he had got Sherlock to get rid of Magnussen for him; no wonder he was able to “reappear out of thin air… pretending to be alive… Why everyone around him pretended to be dead at least once, or came back from the dead at least once? Thankfully for them, Mary had truly died, he saw her die; he saw her brains being blown out almost right in front of him…

“Love…” Sherlock rubbed John’s cheek; he needed to see his eyes to feel safe. John opened his eyes and focused on Sherlock, on his beautiful face, his soft lips, and breathed more easily “Want me to stop?” John shook his head and they both took a shaky breath; John carding his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and Sherlock reaching up to softly caress John’s cheek “I had been following the same man since the day I fell. The night after the fall, I met with Mycroft and he briefed me about the mission, he said that many things must be done in order to finish with Moriarty’s network, but that even I finished them, there will always be someone ready to take the place of the head I had cut; he said that they were like hydras, cut one head and have two ready to attack. He died, but one of his many heads took upon them to continue his work… and as Dumbledore said “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself” and Moriarty wanted me to fear the name…” Sherlock could feel his heart thumping in his chest, it felt like a heart attack

“Are you okay?” John asked worriedly, dismissing the line from the books they’ve been reading to Bell. Sherlock jolted up and John handed him the bin, watching helplessly as Sherlock emptied his stomach, fever spiking suddenly; unconsciousness gaining the best of him and becoming a sobbing mess. After three hours of spiking fever; John had to carry his Detective and give him a cold bath. Sherlock was grateful for his clever John, and tried to help as much as possible, but his body was rejecting what he had done. While he was resting in a few inches of cold water, John had made sure the bed was ready for him, and for the many hours ahead of a sleeping, unconscious Detective, unable to even control his bladder. Only John had seen him this way; to the others he had remained stoically… complete… whole… undeterred… unaffected… he couldn’t afford to appear vulnerable in the eyes of his brother and his minions, and even his latest episodes hand been concealed from everyone by his clever and loving John

The cold water helped Sherlock recover a bit of his conscious self, enough to drag himself back to bed and ask John to make love to him; he needed that physical reassurance, he needed to feel John inside him, around him, his warm body pressing softly against him. John had no other choice but to comply, even if he was sure that it would be better for his Detective to sleep than to have sex, but he was there for him.

After much effort from his part, mostly because John couldn’t get a proper erection, considering Sherlock’s state of mind; he had managed to finally get hard enough to penetrate his husband; the moment John entered him, Sherlock started crying, soft sobs leaving his lips, tears running down the sides of his forehead, John couldn’t move, he tried to pull out but Sherlock held him close with arms and legs, and John just held him while he cried, soothing him with loving words, allowing him to mourn all his previous lives and all his deaths.

“Please…” Sherlock breathed after he had calmed down. He had released John’s arms and legs and John was about to pull out, his erection long gone, when Sherlock shook his head and held him close again

“But...” John tried and Sherlock swallowed the words with a firm kiss

“No…” Sherlock let out a sad and shaky sigh “Please…” He begged again, kissing down John’s neck, knowing exactly where to kiss to turn John on, unfortunately, John was too concerned with Sherlock’s state of mind to even think about sex

“I don’t think I can do it” John sighed, frustration clear in his voice “I’m too concerned about you, love… I’m sorry” He peppered Sherlock’s face with kisses and soft caresses to Sherlock’s sides, until the Detective released him and allowed him to pull out. Sherlock started sobbing again, and all John could do was hold him, and apologise profusely. Tired and slightly feverish; Sherlock finally fell asleep, followed immediately by John, who held him all night.

Unlike every morning, John arousal was non-existent, a nightmare had kept him awake half the night, and the posterior shout that came from Sherlock’s throat had him on high alert; they had barely slept, and were tired the next morning; Tim had offered to take Bell to the park; but the men decided to stay in the room until they felt better; playing with Bell, holding her might be exactly what they needed. In the afternoon; and feeling more calm; Sherlock took his family to the Zoo, and as Bell enjoyed her time, Sherlock and John watched her in uncomfortable silence; Sherlock knowing he owed John an explanation about last night, John knowing that Sherlock was finding hard to tell him what had happened while he was in Belarus

They went back to the hotel with an exhausted baby and put her to bed; the entire next day planned to the fullest, and no words between them about the elephant in the room. Sherlock prepared a bath for them and prepared a drink for John. As soon as John entered the bathroom and saw the tumbler he knew it was time; he settled between Sherlock’s legs and allowed his Detective to lavish him with kisses, while he massaged his shoulders and neck. Once John seemed fully relaxed Sherlock let out a shaky breath and started talking again

“Maupertuis wanted to capture me; it was a wild hunt, I had… killed...” John could feel Sherlock’s breath hitch “Several men and women…” he was finding it hard to breathe again but tried, nevertheless “In order to get close to the heads of the organisation; and once I was done, I had helped others rid of these… heads… obviously, Maupertuis wanted mine; being the last in Moriarty’s organisation with any power left, he needed to get rid of the pest, and definitely take over before anyone else did”

“Why didn’t you go directly to him?”

“Because it was too dangerous…” Sherlock sighed “I needed to know how he had helped Moriarty, what his relationship with him was. So far I had found that most the men I had followed were smugglers of varied products, antiquities, people, weapons, drugs, a mixture between any of those… you name it…” Sherlock could feel the water getting cold and so he pushed his Doctor out the water and led him to their bed, drying him softly while kissing him everywhere he could “I’m sorry about last night…” He said kissing John’s lips softly “I shouldn’t have forced you…” He was feeling guilty and ashamed

“You didn’t force me, love. I wanted to please you; but I was too concerned…” John held Sherlock’s face in his hands and kissed him soundly on the lips “I find it that when you’re distressed, sad or angry; my sex drive wanes and all I want to do is comfort you” He petted Sherlock’s head and pulled the Detective to the bed “I know it’s hard for you to talk about what happened in Belarus” John pulled Sherlock to his chest and hugged him from the back, having him rest on his good arm, legs tangled, one of his hands on Sherlock’s hair, the other rubbing softly Sherlock’s hip “If you don’t want me to know, it’s okay; I don’t need to know” John kissed Sherlock’s neck softly, comfortingly “If you want me to know…” Another soft kiss “We’ll find a way to talk about it” he moved his hand to Sherlock’s stomach and rubbed it softly “Sleep my love” he rested his head on Sherlock’s and closed his eyes, trying to help his Detective to sleep, but Sherlock turned in his arms

“I need you” Sherlock said to John in a whisper “I know you’re concerned…” he kissed John’s eyelids “But I need you…” Sherlock moved his hand down to John’s hip and started rubbing small circles in the bone “I need to feel you…” He started kissing John’s neck “I need you to love me…” He moved closer tangling their legs

“I love you, Sherlock” John gasped between kisses “Sherlock, please, talk to me, love” John moved his hand to Sherlock’s back and kissed him softly on the lips, a long and sweet kiss

“Please, John” Sherlock moved his hand down to John’s arse and started massaging it softly, kneading at the muscle with his nimble fingers “Please” He begged again and moved his hand to John’s cock, pleased to find it slightly aroused. John hardened under the touch and began thrusting into Sherlock’s fist; slowly “Please” Sherlock begged a third time and John pushed him softly, getting on top of him.

“Talk to me” John asked between kisses as he started working his Detective open. Sherlock whined and arched his back; John pushed inside and stayed still, because Sherlock started crying again “What is it, love?” John kissed him softly, his voice panicked, fearing he had hurt his love “Sherlock, please” John started to pull away but Sherlock held him close

“Please, John, please; love me” Sherlock said between sobs and moved his hips, making John moan. John tried to concentrate, but was distracted by Sherlock’s sobs “I’ll be fine, please” Sherlock kissed him, while tears ran down the sides of his eyes. John simply moved and made love to his Detective, slowly, softly, kissing him the entire time, holding him close, kissing his tears away. When they were done, because Sherlock made sure John came with him, John pulled out and held Sherlock close to his chest; breathing slowing down, he asked again “Talk to me, please?” And Sherlock nodded

“I…” Sherlock moved away from John and put some distance between them, his eyes filled with tears again “I love you, John” he looked at him with sad eyes “I made an entire facility blow while I was here” Sherlock looked away “Maupertuis was experimenting on animals, trying to reproduce extinct animals, major animals, altering their genetics” Sherlock was shaking, his entire body shaking with wave after wave of shivers “He was playing with human genetics too… and he was trafficking with it” Sherlock had his eyes closed “They were smuggling organs…” Sherlock wanted to reach for John’s hand but controlled himself; John sensed this and reached for his Detective, holding him close

“I love you, my sweet, beautiful wonderful, amazing, man” John kissed him softly on the ear “And no matter what you say, I’ll love you anyway” He assured his trembling Detective

“I had to kill over two hundred people in that explosion…” Sherlock shivered again and John soothed him “I had located one of the breeding centres, near Belavezhskaya Pushcha, a natural park in Brest, close to Ukraine; that’s why it was so easy to take the Ukrainians down; they allowed me to take them down, successfully distracting me from the real business they were conducting… organ trafficking”

“It’s not your fault” John knew how he felt when he failed; he kept blaming himself for what had happened many years ago, for not knowing... John held him closer and started kissing him all over his face and neck “I need you” he said “I’ll stay still, and you can talk more” He proposed, turning Sherlock and pulling him to his chest, working him open again, slowly

“I can try” Sherlock breathed, trying to focus on something else besides John’s fingers inside him

“Please?” John kissed the back of his neck as he thrusted his fingers up

Sherlock focused on his breathing and continued talking “I found the experimentation facility; Jacques and Mikhail were supposed to deliver me to Maupertuis, as head hunters hired specifically for the task; they had provided them with enough information on my whereabouts and Mycroft had created an even bigger file on my supposed success as a gun for hire” He bit a moan back as John worked another finger and he started to repeat in his head the numbers of every chemical element “They…” he moaned and John stopped his ministrations “Don’t stop, please” He half panted, half moaned and John continued teasing him open, slower this time “They supposedly captured, but before deliver, we found the facility. Remember Baskerville?”

“Yes” John breathed on his neck and delivered a kiss; that was the first case when Sherlock confessed he was his only friend and his heart had swelled with love that day

“God… John!” Sherlock tried to impale himself on John’s teasing digits and the Doctor slowed the movement

“Please” John said breathily

“Magnesium, number twelve, mass, twenty four point thirty fifty” Sherlock whispered and repeated, focusing again on his breathing, John chuckled and stilled his fingers until Sherlock started talking again “The facility…” Sherlock panted “The facility looked a lot like Baskerville, their experiments as gruesome as the ones in Baskerville; they had successfully used humans to harvest and replicate organs, children, women, men, they had pregnant women being used as breeding machines and human incubators; harvesting eggs from the younger ones, girls between twelve and seventeen; orphans most of them” John pulled his fingers out the Detective, any arousal leaving his body, he held Sherlock even closer and just kissed him and hugged him

“I’m sorry…” he felt ashamed, he had used sex to coerce his husband to talk

“No…” Sherlock turned and embraced him “Make love to me” He kissed John slowly “I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow” John nodded and allowed his Detective to lavish him with kisses, everything forgotten, considered a bad dream, a terrible nightmare; he let himself go and gave his husband the physical reassurance he needed of their love


	84. The awful truth behind the “Hamish” experiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, love” John appeared in front of him, unshaved, bags under his eyes, and Sherlock’s mind filled with deductions ‘two days without any sleep, he hasn’t eaten, he has filled himself with bad coffee and nothing more’ Sherlock frowned and tried to focus better in John’s eyes, trying to figure out what had happened, he frowned as he saw John’s eyes, red rimmed ‘he’s been crying, what did I do this time?’ he tried to recall, and the last thing he remembered was being in bed, with John, and then being very cold and nothing more “It’s okay; the doctor is going to take the breathing tube” Sherlock’s frown deepened

“Amongst the many places I want to take you” Sherlock said around a bite of his toast “There is Alivaria Brewery Museum; but we can’t take Bell there. We can go this afternoon and we can finish our talk” He looked at John and his husband nodded “In the meantime I think Bell might enjoy the Gorky”

“The Gorky?” John looked at Sherlock questioningly, one eyebrow raised in confusion       

“It’s an amusement park, it has a wheel, and some other games Bell might enjoy” Sherlock said nonchalantly

“An amusement park? Just for the morning? Are you sure?” John practically snorted and Sherlock simply looked away

“If it takes the entire day, it takes the entire day” He shrugged, pushing his breakfasts away and picking his daughter up

“Love?” John followed his husband and watched from the door as he dressed their daughter in a bright red shirt she had picked, with tiny white shorts and her little trainers, while he spoke to her softly in French. He smiled to himself and couldn’t resist the urge to hug his husband “I know you’re trying to avoid our talk” He said to Sherlock’s shoulder “It’s fine” he gave a little kiss and patted his husband’s buttock “I love you” He walked away and started to get ready

In fact, they spent the entire day at the park, Bell getting on every ride she could, Sherlock and John enjoying their time with her for the first time in weeks; the little girl already adapted to the air conditioning and her ear much better than it was a few days before. Knowing they couldn’t be as affectionate as they had been everywhere else, their contact was limited to longing looks, soft grazes of fingers and a few code words to tell each other how much they loved one another

True to his promise; Sherlock took John to the Brewery museum, and after the first sip, he started talking

“Hamish…” Sherlock took a deep breath and let the name slip from his lips

“What?” John’s eyes widened, he thought his husband was going to talk about Belarus, not their son

“Hamish is the result of some of the experiments that they’d been conducting both in Japan and in Belarus”

“WHAT?” John yelled, rising from the table

“They’d been experiment with reproduction, gene alteration, gene splicing, amongst other things” Sherlock had his head in his hands, talking to the table “They were using women as human incubators, they would harvest their organs and sell them at the black market, finding donors in need who would pay whatever to find a heart, a kidney, a liver, lungs, you name it; and these young women were used as donors, slashed, cut, diced according to the need and the match; and they would be bred like animals…” Sherlock breath hitched as he remembered what he saw, young women attached to machines, keeping them warm and breathing as the babies grew in them, he had to down the entire glass to steady himself

“We’re going back to the hotel” John practically growled and pulled Sherlock close, never minding the looks he received, he gave his Detective a soft kiss on the lips and guided him out of the brewery. Upon arrival he prepared a bath and helped his husband in; he washed his head and massaged his sore muscles, feeling as he relaxed in his arms. When the water ran cold he helped his husband out and towelled him dry before pulling him to bed. He had Sherlock rest his head on his stomach, much like the night they arrived and carded his fingers in the still damp hair, enjoying the silky feeling and the smoky smell of his husband’s hair

“They had over fifty young women connected to machines, all of them in different stages of pregnancy, from recently fertilised, to ready to birth; most of them with multiples, from two to eight babies… litters” Sherlock was shaking and John gathered him in his arms, cradling him “They all were sleeping, induced coma; they would harvest a kidney, a lung, even their heart, and keep the blood pumping until they gave birth, then they would be woken, and be conscious by the time of death” He sniffed

“How do you know? I mean, how you found out what they’d been doing”

“I saw them do it…” Sherlock sobbed “I saw them do it, wake her up, have her push six babies out of her body, and left her to die…” He was crying profusely “Her name was Tatiana and she was nineteen” Sherlock had his eyes closed, but the tears kept on streaming “She held to my hand while she died; they had removed her every organ, she was connected to a machine with a timer, and she saw as the seconds passed and she died slowly, in pain, unable to breath, to talk, anything…they left her to die” Sherlock’s shivering turned in to a full body tremble, and John had to tangle around his Detective to stop it “I infiltrated the facility with Jacques’s help, I saw her gave birth and then the entire team took whatever they could from her and let her to die, alone, in a cold room… I saw her” John was horrified, he couldn’t believe what Sherlock had witnessed

“What did they do to her… after?” John had his eyes closed, imagining how many other things they could take from a body

“They harvested bone; skin, hair; eyes, and they used her brain to perform even more experiments…” Sherlock held John closer, breathing him in “They burned her body after they gathered everything they needed, and I was there, looking impotently… frozen… pretending…” Sherlock shivered again “My mind was blocked, and all I could do was contain myself to avoid killing the doctors with my bare hands; I needed to find Maupertuis, find his right hand man and bring his head to him before he got to me…”

“Did you find him?”

“Yes… He was waiting for me… He had been following me and thought I was trapped in the facility” Sherlock breathed slowly, shakily, trying to let go of the memory

“He tortured you” John started to kiss his back, slowly and softly

“Yes…” Sherlock let out with a shaky sigh “Fortunately for me, he didn’t do much harm; he just managed to tie me up and hit me a few times; break my ribs but that was it…” John ran his hand over Sherlock’s forehead and he was feverish again, he turned the Detective in his arms and kissed him sweetly, rubbing his back and letting the information sink in

“Want to stop?” He asked between sweet kisses, worrying about Sherlock’s fever.

Sherlock shook his head and took a deep breath “Jacques came to the room where I was being kept, he released me and left a gun for me before he left; he knew I had to do it alone” Sherlock was shivering again, his fever spiking dangerously but he kept on talking “He covered his face the moment he entered the room where I was being kept, he even had to punch me a couple of times, he used a saline solution injection and pushed it in my arm, I had to pretend that I was drugged and as soon as I slumped, he released me from my bonds, leaving the gun near me; at that moment, Mikhail entered the room and took him away”

“Why did he do that? Why didn’t they take you?”

“Because they had a cover to keep, they were supposed to be guns for hire, they were supposed to deliver me to Maupertuis, and they had to look like vicious killers”

“But why did Mikhail come to look for Jacques?”

“Because we were being filmed, that’s why Jacques hit me and injected me. I was supposed to be unconscious when Mikhail called him and took him outside to tell him how to “torture me”, how Maupertuis wanted me to be tortured” Sherlock let out a shaky breath and burrowed closer in John’s arms, John could feel how his fever had spiked and gave him some water. Sherlock swallowed the cold water gratefully, the pain in his head insistent and stronger than before “Mikhail acted in the most clever way possible, he was able to take Jacques out from the room in time for the man that wanted to torture me came to the room; he found me supposedly unconscious and ordered to turn the cameras off, he was going to kill me instead of delivering me alive as requested” Sherlock shivered again and John gave him more water and Sherlock whimpered softly

“I’m sorry, love” John apologised kissing him softly “I cannot give you more paracetamol, I already given you more than I should have” He rubbed his husband’s back and tried to soothe him

“It’s okay, John” Sherlock gave him a peck and settled in his arms “When he heard they had killed the cameras he grabbed a long stick and tried to…” Sherlock shuddered

“Tried to what?” John held him closer

“Impale me…” He took a deep breath “But I grabbed the gun and the moment he approached me, telling me all he was going to do to me, from raping me with the stick to impale me…” Sherlock closed his eyes and took yet another shaky breath, feeling the fever take him slowly “I killed him…” He said with a hair of voice “I put a bullet through his head and all hell got loose”

“Why?”

“Because at the sound of the gun, Jacques and Mikhail left the facility, as planned and were waiting for me outside. They had planted several explosives outside and as soon as they saw me leaving the building, they blew it…” Sherlock sobbed and John rubbed his back, his concern spiking at the new spike in Sherlock’s temperature “We tried to save as many men, women and children we could, but there were many others we couldn’t save, many others trapped in their own bodies, being experimented on, babies… like Bell… like our little peanut… The voices…” Sherlock gave another shaky breath and closed his eyes, his head was killing him and he could feel darkness claiming him, he tried to fought it, he needed John to know before he lose consciousness

“Sherlock?” John called, feeling how the Detective was going limp in his arms. Before panicking he knew he needed to control the fever “Sherlock, love, try to stay awake” He soothed, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible “I need you to look at me, please” He started kissing Sherlock’s forehead, but the Detective was already out cold. He pulled him from the bed and carried him to the bathroom, laying him on the tub and opening the cold water to bring down the fever.

Sherlock startled awake at the cold feeling running his body and looked up to find John’s worried face in front of him. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again someone was using a pen light to check on Sherlock’s pupils, he could feel other people were in the room with them. He was confused and his mind was foggy; something was making it difficult to breathe and he ran a hand over his face; an oxygen mask was on top of it and he could hear John’s voice in the distance, as if he were underwater. He tried to talk but his tongue felt swollen, he could barely swallow and before he knew it he was out again

“Sherlock?” He could hear John’s voice in the distance, he tried to speak but he had a tube down his throat. He tried to move but his entire body felt heavy and his mind was fussy “Sherlock?” Another voice called, but he couldn’t focus and figure out to whom it belonged “Daddy?” he recognised Bell’s voice and tried to open his eyes, only to find another light being pointed at his eyes “Mister Holmes” A man called “can you hear me?” the voice asked and he tried to nod but the throbbing ache in his head made it impossible, so he blinked

“Hey, love” John appeared in front of him, unshaved, bags under his eyes, and Sherlock’s mind filled with deductions ‘two days without any sleep, he hasn’t eaten, he has filled himself with bad coffee and nothing more’ Sherlock frowned and tried to focus better in John’s eyes, trying to figure out what had happened, he frowned as he saw John’s eyes, red rimmed ‘he’s been crying, what did I do this time?’ he tried to recall, and the last thing he remembered was being in bed, with John, and then being very cold and nothing more “It’s okay; the doctor is going to take the breathing tube” Sherlock’s frown deepened

“You’re in hospital” Mycroft said and Sherlock turned to see his brother, he too looked tired, slightly less messy than John but a mess as well “You were convulsing, due to the fever” He said as explanation and Sherlock closed his eyes

“You gave me quite a scare...” Sherlock could feel John’s hands, one in his curls, the other one in his arm “I tried to lower your fever by getting you in cold water, but it didn’t work. Since you didn’t regain consciousness I had to call the hotel Doctor, and while he was checking on you, you started convulsing, he called an ambulance and I called Mycroft. We’ve been here for two days, waiting for you to wake up” He rubbed Sherlock’s cheek and Sherlock looked at him with teary eyes, asking for forgiveness “It’s okay, love. I knew that this might happen… It was too much remembering what had happened” Sherlock gestured to the tube down his throat “In order to stop the convulsions they wanted to give you Diazepam, but I had to stop them…” John’s hand trembled “So they induced a mild coma and that’s why you have the breathing tube…” John gave him a quick kiss on the forehead “ Since you didn’t show any signs of convulsing again, and your fever lowered, they took you out of the induced coma a few hours ago, the tube is just a precaution” John had tears in his eyes.

The Doctor came and helped Sherlock out of the tube, he asked him not to talk and started explaining the treatment, and every time he referred to John he called him Liekar(1) Watson or vaš doktar(2), never your husband, or at least, your partner, and he remembered that their marriage wasn’t recognised in Belarus. He wanted to kill somebody, and he looked at John’s face, no wonder Mycroft was there, John wasn’t “Family”. He could feel his eyes sting with tears, and as soon as the Doctor said he could leave he looked at John pleadingly; his husband ready to take him back to the safety of their hotel

“I’m sorry” Sherlock apologised as soon as he could talk

“My love” John held him close as they rode back to the hotel in the back of the black sedan

“I think you should skip Serbia” Mycroft said clearing his throat

“No…” Sherlock whispered “You know I have to do this” Sherlock leaned in and rested his head on John’s lap, Mycroft gave him a concerned look but said nothing, in fact, his brother needed to do this… “Thank you for coming” Sherlock reached for Mycroft’s hand and his brother grabbed it tightly

“I’m afraid I must return tonight” Mycroft cleared his throat, trying to sound unaffected

“Matters of international importance” Sherlock finished for him but gave him another squeeze to the hand

“I shall leave you at your hotel and return promptly to London” Mycroft let go of his brother’s hand to get his phone out, it was buzzing relentlessly

“Thank you, Mycroft” John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and felt him relax

They arrived to the hotel and John took Sherlock back to bed immediately. Bell climbed on top of her father and nuzzled him, staying the rest of the afternoon in his arms, enjoying the warmth from her Daddy’s arms around her. John slept part of the afternoon, with his family next to him, feeling slightly conflicted about going to Serbia, but he knew Sherlock needed to do this.

That night, Sherlock finished his story, it proved to be less of a challenge telling John that he had heard the people screaming inside the facility, that he had to run and leave many people trapped in the fire and the explosion, and that in order to keep his mission a secret, a team of men, he didn’t know if they were Interpol, or what, cleaned after all and simply covered the fact, telling that what had happened was that a scientific facility had exploded due to faulty electric wiring. John simply listened and begged to that deity that had brought them together, to please keep them safe, healthy, and together, for ever.

They slept with their baby girl; she didn’t want to let go of her Daddy Sher love and the next day proved to be rather difficult, having a lap-full of crying toddler was the least John wanted for his recovering husband; but Sherlock simply couldn’t let her go, he hugged her the entire time, kept her close. She had gone through too much already, with new parents, long trips, said parents not talking and living apart for almost a week, and with him at hospital, alone with Tim because John was with Sherlock, and even her uncle couldn’t be with her.

“It’s okay, baby love” He soothed her the entire time as they walked through one of the many museums they decided to visit to clear their minds and try and enjoy the city. Sherlock seemed relaxed, but John knew better, he knew that going to Serbia would be rather difficult, that it would trigger even worst memories than previous destinations; the nightmares had returned, Sherlock kept speaking in Serbian, and he begged in Belarussian to save as many children as they could; he would cry himself to sleep in John’s arms and there would be nothing left for the good Doctor to do, but be there, love and care for his beloved Detective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: лекар (liekar) Doctor   
> 2: ваш доктар (vaš doktar) your physician


	85. Scars, the woods and how to forgive Serbia. August 16th to September1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I wanted to quit. I wanted for them to find me and be done with me…” Sherlock looked down “But you made me fight…” He had his eyes closed; trying to hold the tears “You gave me the air I needed to last a few more days…” He opened his eyes and looked in the blue oceans in front of him “I was able to lure them to a specific location where I would get rid of them, one at the time. I would have the police arresting them; the people at the hotel helped me, they would call the police and they would be captured; that’s how Mycroft found me; he knew it was me…”

As predicted, their trip to Serbia was as terrible as John had imagined. The moment they landed Sherlock had to be rushed to hospital because he had been throwing up for the last five hours, even before they boarded the plane. The three our flight proved to be even worse than the one from Portugal, Sherlock couldn’t move without being sick, and John had to take care of not one, but two defenceless people; his daughter and his husband.

After a round of rehydration, a forced night at the hospital, much discussion, a few yells, mostly from John, lots of eye rolls, all of them from Sherlock, and the subsequent make up kiss, Sherlock left the hospital when one of the doctors finally signed his release papers, after much waiting for the already known results, too much stress and lack of sleep; with the promise to come back in case of need; Sherlock led John to the flat he had rented right in the centre of Belgrade

The next day, not exactly fully rested, but rested in the end; Sherlock took his family to Kopaonik National Park, and to the forest where he had been captured, after a few days of hiding at one of the many camp sites scattered around. After a four hour drive, Sherlock found for them a room at Jankove Bare, close to the exact location where he’d been captured. A few of the men at the spa recognised him and received him like a hero; he had helped them get rid of the criminals that were threatening their way of life; that had been extorting them.

“I arrived to Serbia by car. I had travelled the entire night, over twenty hours…” Sherlock tried to relax in the water of the Jacuzzi but he could still hear the screams and the explosions “We went through Poland and I had to force Mikhail to stay at Lublin; he was reluctant at first, but I convinced him that it was for the best…” Sherlock’s gaze went glazy and John feared he would have another fit so he scooted closer and hugged him “By the time we arrived to Budapest; I left Jacques in the car, he was asleep, so I took advantage of it, parked the car at a public garage and left him there…” Sherlock shivered “I found a car that took me to Horgoš - Röszke, near the border with Serbia” Sherlock took a shaky breath “I called Mycroft after that and told him about my last lead, and the moment I got to Horgoš I tossed my phone and found a ride to Jankove Bare”

“How did you know where to go?” John asked his shaky husband, trying to connect him with reality

“The man I killed in Minsk mentioned the name of the forest… They’d been using some ruins as a hideout, but the entire operation centre was underground. I found the entrance to the facility and went unnoticed until Maupertuis arrived to the facility; then I knew I had to act” He took another shaky breath, trying to control his shivering body but it was almost impossible; John wrapped his arms around him and that grounded him somehow. The memories from Serbia weren’t the worst, but he feared he might not be able to return ever

“That was your last mission” John started kissing his shoulders, as to ground him more “You weren’t supposed to come back from Serbia…” The cold and blunt hit from that possibility hit him hard, directly in his heart

“No…” He let out with a sigh “And after Magnussen…” John hugged him closer and swallowed the words with his lips “I need you to know…” Sherlock pushed him away softly and looked in his eyes “I need to tell you…”

“I know…” John gave him another kiss “But you’re back and that is all I care about” He carded his wet fingers in Sherlock’s hair and caressed his cheek “You’re back and you’re with me” He smiled at his husband, looking at him with that look that meant the world to Sherlock

“I wanted to quit. I wanted for them to find me and be done with me…” Sherlock looked down “But you made me fight…” He had his eyes closed; trying to hold the tears “You gave me the air I needed to last a few more days…” He opened his eyes and looked in the blue oceans in front of him “I was able to lure them to a specific location where I would get rid of them, one at the time. I would have the police arresting them; the people at the hotel helped me, they would call the police and they would be captured; that’s how Mycroft found me; he knew it was me…” He shuddered and John pulled him out of the Jacuzzi, wrapping a towel around his shoulders and drying him slowly, enjoying the silence for a moment

“I’m taking you to bed now” John hugged him by the waist and walked behind him “And our bed is a memory free area” he caressed Sherlock’s chest. Sherlock leaned into the touch and allowed John to put him to bed and hold him until they both fell asleep.

In the early morning, they went to the camping site where Sherlock had spent five out of the six weeks he’d been in Serbia; he showed him where he slept, he introduced him to a few people that gave him food and occasionally shelter, and the ones that had called the police to capture his torturers “I looked ragged all the time, I had no shoes, my hair was really long, I was unable to shave properly; I couldn’t get a hot bath even if I begged for one, and when I had food, I would have to force myself to eat, and when I had a proper bed I would have to force myself to sleep” He said to the landscape in front of them, they were lying next to each other in a clear on the wood, Bell resting her head on Daddy Sher’s stomach and her feet on Daddy John’s chest, watching at her fathers’ entwined fingers on top of her.

“Why did it take you so long?” John asked looking at the same nothingness

“Because I would take one down at the time, one every night, sometimes one every other night as not to rise too much suspicion; that is until only Maupertuis was left… The man that tortured me was interrogating me about what I had done to him when Mycroft came and rescued me…” John could see Sherlock’s eyes glazing out and he stroked his knuckles with his thumb, Sherlock startled, it wasn’t much the torture, it was the lack of sleep, and Maupertuis’ face

“What happened to him?” John asked softly

“He sent a party to chase me; that’s when Mycroft located me; he had to wait until the news about Maupertuis were out on the network to come and look for me… I think that’s the first time Mycroft truly feared he might find me ready for a body bag” Sherlock played with Bell’s curls, grateful that the little girl was asleep “I managed to… dispose… of the party he sent to search for me… some died… I had to… It was a matter of do or die…” He said biting his lower lip

“I know, love… I know” John squeezed his hand “I’ve done the exact same thing… I killed a cabbie because he threatened you… Remember?” He looked at Sherlock and relaxed when he saw him smile

“When he got no results, he came to look for me himself” Sherlock continued “We fought each other to death; I was weak from lack of food and sleep, but I managed to subdue him; during the fight, he hit his head in a rock and he started bleeding profusely from the injury…” Sherlock had his eyes closed again, and he started to tremble; but Bell’s little hand on his chest helped him greatly “He started laughing and telling me that I would die, that he would make sure of it… He launched himself forward, but the blood in his eyes made him miscalculate and I just moved to the other side and he fell… over there” Sherlock signalled to a slope “It’s not that tall, but when you fall with your head first, the most probable thing is that you’ll hurt yourself” He rested his hand on Bell’s curls again and took a deep breath “I heard when he snapped a few bones as he fell, and he was still laughing and screaming he was going to kill me, that I would be his ultimate experiment, that my brain belonged in a lab, not in my head” He took another deep breath

“He died from the injuries?”

“No…” Sherlock looked away from John and to the slope again “I went to him with all the intention to help him out of the slope, but he had a rock and he tried to hit me with it in the head but he managed to hurt my shoulder” Sherlock could almost feel the hit again “Then he started shivering and went pale, he was bleeding internally and pain was starting to kick in… he begged for me to kill him in the end, and for the first time, I felt compassion for one of my many tormentors… He pulled my hand to his own throat and looked at me with big, sad eyes, and I just…”

“I did the same once…” John squeezed Sherlock’s fingers again “One of the guys at Helmand; he was in so much pain… An explosion threw him against a wall and he was bleeding internally… and if it wasn’t enough; he was trapped under the rubble, and help would take forever to come… He asked me how long and I told him that probably a few hours, from three to five, not for help to arrive but for death to come…” Sherlock was looking at John intently “He looked at me with desperation and fear and then… hope… ‘How long?’ He asked me and I had to tell him, he moved his free hand and pulled his headscarf on top of his mouth and looked at me, again with those eyes…”

“You helped him…”

“He was already going in to shock, it would have taken him another hour or so of excruciating pain, systems failure, his kidneys, then his lungs and finally his heart, he would have died from lack of oxygen… asphyxiated, in a long and terrible agony” John rubbed Bell’s little feet and felt the life in them while he rubbed Sherlock’s warm hand and felt the pulse under his thumb “I am a doctor, I am supposed to help save lives, but at the same time…” Tears started rolling freely “I have to alleviate the pain, and help people not to feel it… I pushed some morphine in his neck and when he went slightly limp I…”

“At least you had the morphine” Sherlock sounded relieved, somehow sharing an experience made him feel less of a monster

“And you’re not a monster” John leaned closer and gave him a kiss

“And you never cease to amaze me” Sherlock leaned into the kiss

“What happened to the body?”

“Mycroft” Sherlock sighed “I had to run away from it, another search party was looking for me, that’s when they captured me and Mycroft went with his team to look for the body. Unfortunately he lost track of me, because I was taken underground… He interrogated a few of the men I had put in jail and gathered enough information to find me; when he did he watched as the man tortured me for about three hours; I hadn’t slept or eat in four days, I barely had water. He burned me with cigarettes, hit me with a stick, and I was able to deduce him before he used the pipe”  

“He watched as you were tortured?”

“He didn’t want to blow his cover”

“He watched as you were tortured?” John repeated himself, feeling anger bubble in his chest

“Yes… And that’s one of the many things he regrets, including what he did when Moriarty, and Smith… and… well… everything… he has apologised quite profusely, actually”

“Not to me” John growled

“He will…” Sherlock leaned in closer and rested his head on John’s heaving chest “I’ll make sure of it” He gave John’s chest a soft kiss

“What happened after he got you out?” John huffed and tried to kill the urge to maim Mycroft Holmes in any way

“He took me back to London. There was that underground terrorist cell and he needed me back… I was back less than a day when I went to look for you. Our first stop was Belgrade for a couple of days, I was in hospital, I was cleaned, sutured, rehydrated and fed; I also slept for a day and returned to London as soon as I was released from hospital, less than twenty fours later after Mycroft found me”

“October thirty first” John had a small smile on his face

“Exactly” Sherlock could feel John’s heart thumping in his chest “Let’s go…” He pulled Bell to his chest and allowed John to get up, letting him help him up “There’s a place I want to show you before we return to Belgrade” He pulled John by the hand to their car

A couple hours later they were at Djerdap National Park, visiting the archaeological ruins and walking around different sites. They stayed at one of the many hotels that night, Bell wanted to stay with her Daddy Sher love again and John shared their bed with their daughter; there would be enough time to be together later; Bell needed them too, she was like a balm to them, her smile helped them overcome whatever sadness they might have, even their nightmares stopped when she was around. They arrived to Belgrade late in the afternoon the next day, and decided they’ll be going to the Zoo; but before that; Sherlock threated John to a date night; between his stay at the hospital in Minsk, and their travelling around Serbia for the last three days, without counting their first day in Belgrade being spent at hospital; Sherlock felt like he owed John a free night

He found a night tour of Belgrade by the Danube. They left a sleeping Bell and Sherlock took John to the boat he had rented for their nightly private tour. They stayed on deck, watching the city lights, Sherlock pointing at interesting buildings and narrating stories to John, John watching him mesmerised, lost in those beautiful greenish-bluish eyes.

Sherlock kissed John with all the love in his heart and body, feeling how John’s heart started beating fasters, feeling his own lungs fight for air, enjoying every second of the wonderful gift it was for them to be together at last. They went back to their flat; Tim was waiting for them, a bit scared of the way they might come back; but all John wanted to do was make love to his husband slowly, softly, enjoying every second, exploring each other, loving each other

Bell’s sounds woke them, their little lady was ready for the Zoo: Sherlock took her little hand on his and guided her to the kitchen and they made breakfast for John; after having enough food to feed a battalion, John took his husband to the shower, bathed him thoroughly and they were ready to leave and explore the city.

They were walking to the tiger enclosure, Bell as excited as ever, the white tigers getting her attention immediately; and Sherlock was making plans with John for the next couple of weeks before Mycroft’s wedding

“I think we should go to Vienna for a week, and then to Pau and visit Mamie” Sherlock was looking at Bell intently

“I like the idea, love” John pulled Bell closer by her straps and the girl walked towards her father “And I assume we should be in London by the eight” He picked Bell up and walked her back to the tiger encasement, holding her there for her to watch the tigers more closely

“Yes, we have a doctor’s appointment to meet the peanut formally”

“He’s growing fast” John smiled

“He?” Sherlock beamed

“It certainly looks like it” John reached for the latest picture of the peanut Mycroft had sent; a very healthy baby at sixteen weeks. He kissed the picture and then showed Sherlock what looked like a small penis and Sherlock beamed at the image, holding it close to his heart “She’s been very accommodating” John put the picture away

“Yes, she’d been going to the doctor every week so we can have an image of Hamish every single week; I think we should buy her something…” He picked Bell and took her to the next encasement where a lynx was staring at them

“Perhaps; we should ask your brother about it” John looked at his husband and got lost in the enjoyment Sherlock had in his face

“So, Vienna… I can’t wait” Sherlock beamed at John

“Yeah” John sighed, contently. Sherlock put Bell down and the baby started walking again, John held the straps this time and was looking at Sherlock with so much love in his eyes that he didn’t see towards whom Bell was running to, that is until…


	86. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson August 23rd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be really evil and leave you with this... Pure Mofftiss Style!

**Anna Grace**

 

Anna Grace, I want my husband back


	87. Anna Grace and Sherlock. August 21st to August 26thherlock August 21st to August 26th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear John  
> I have him; if you want him back, let the world know what you are  
> Love, always  
> Mary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, been traveling... Will upload all chpaters in a few days, and from then you'll have to wait for my writers block to be over... sorry!!!! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, I love you all!!!

It had been less than two weeks since they arrived to Serbia and five days since John had any news about Sherlock. He had called Mycroft and they found Sherlock’s phone at the bottom of the river. He had sent every single one of Sherlock’s contacts to look for the Detective and John received them in the flat Sherlock had rented for them and answered the same questions over and over again.

They were at the zoo, Bell walking ahead of them and Sherlock was talking about their next stop, he wanted to take Bell to Vienna and stay at their home for a week, then go to Pau and visit Mamie before going back to London for Mycroft’s wedding, and they were simply making plans when Bell started running towards a woman and calling her mummy, both of them startled and John ran after Bell, recognising Mary and wanting nothing more than to keep their daughter safe and away from her. He turned to look for Sherlock but he wasn’t there, and Tim, well… Tim was dead. Their entire detail was too late; they were detained by a group of children and couldn’t make it in time to stop the men that were taking an unconscious detective out of the zoo.

Two days after Sherlock was abducted, he received a note

_Dear John_

_I have him; if you want him back, let the world know what you are_

_Love, always_

_Mary_

John had called everyone they knew, and the entire team had answered his call. Lara was the first to arrive, the exact same day John called, and she gladly took care of little Bell while John went back to the zoo to look for clues, he went with Daniel, Gustav, Jacques and Paul to ask about his lost detective. Marina and Sofia forced John to eat, he tried, but everything went out almost at the same time it went in… His stomach was a mess, he could barely breathe; how could he eat?

He was thankful to all of them; Valeria and Mina were there taking turns with Lara and Catalina to take care of Bell; just like Nikka, Galina and Ariadna. The guys had created turns to look after John, Jacques, Paul, Gustav and Daniel were there too, not to mention Marco and Guido. Alec and Sergei where with Yuri, Roman and Mikhail at the police, and they all would take turns and look at every single place they could; that is until Mycroft, Greg and Number Four made their appearances two days later.       

Greg hugged John and John finally let go of all the anger, pain and fear he was feeling. He sobbed into his friend’s shoulder and let himself fall to the floor, an absolute mess. All their friends retired and left John alone with his family. Lara handed Bell to Mycroft and the little girl clung with all her might to her uncle, crying her Daddy Sher’s absence silently.

“I…” Mycroft cleared his throat and John looked at him with pleading eyes “I think I know where he is but I’m going to need your absolute trust” Mycroft rocked little Bell in his arms and tried to console the little girl. John nodded; he had nothing left to do…      

\--

“I still don’t know what he sees in you” She said walking towards him “Do you know?” She asked; and Sherlock wouldn’t have answered even if he could, the bridle in his mouth made it hard to even breathe, much less answer to the rantings of a crazed woman

‘It’s been at least four days’ Sherlock thought ‘Four days since she has me… why hasn’t she killed me?’

“It’s been five days, dear…” She walked to the detective and patted his face “And I haven’t killed you” She looked in his only open eye “Because I want him seeing you die” She answered the unvoiced question “Perhaps I should start sending parts of you to him, and see what he does” She traced another scar with the scalpel “Perhaps your ring finger?” She made a shallow cut along it “I know…” Her voice lowered and her face went from thinking to maniacal “A testicle!” She made a shallow cut on Sherlock’s inner thigh “Or both!” She made a similar cut on the other thigh “Nah…” She walked away “He claims he loves you, and if he does, I bet he’ll love you, balls or no balls”

She sat in front of Sherlock and watched as the colours returned slowly to the detective’s face “And if I know him” She kept on going with the monologue “And I know him, believe you me…” She smirked evilly “He’s the one that takes, and takes, and fucks away…” She sighed “I miss the fucking away sometimes…” Her eyes went from maniacally happy to a strange stare of longingness “He’s good! Isn’t he?” She looked up at Sherlock “We should discuss his sexual prowess, don’t you think?” She went back to the maniacal smirk “How does it feel to know that half of what he does to you he has done to me?”

Sherlock shuddered involuntarily; he knew John had other lovers, but he never had to face one that amongst other things is an assassin and his former wife; sure, he hated Sarah, well, hate is too much of a strong word towards a woman that is nosey and wanted his John at all costs… he hates Sarah; but Mary; he liked Mary, the apparently sweet, quite clever, fairly intelligent, female version… of himself…

“Jealous much?” Mary smirked and Sherlock tried to scowl but the bridle was hurting his mouth, after four days of it, his jaw muscles were about to give up “Oh, but where are my manners?” She got up again and grabbed the disgusting honey water that was next to her on the table “What good would do if you die on me before he finds you and watches you die…” She drizzled some on Sherlock’s mouth and he swallowed happily, even when he found it not only difficult but the liquid disgusting

“I wonder how much longer my Dear John would keep us waiting” She mocked a look to a non-existent wristwatch and sat again “I hope he brings little Anna Grace, and we can go to one of the many houses you’ve acquired and live there happy… and little Hamish is on the way too” Sherlock trashed but his constrains were to tight and he could barely move “Now, now, love…” She gave him a kiss on the cheek “You know I’ll take good care of them” She sat again

“I still wonder what he sees in you” She looked at Sherlock appreciatively and the detective closed his eyes to avoid the almost lusty look “Sure, you have the cheekbones, and I clearly see why Irene was so infatuated with you” She played with the scalpel “She begged… twice…It was just… beautiful” She mocked endearment and Sherlock glared, being the only thing he could do “She asked about you and I told her not to worry, that you would be joining her rather soon…” Her smile turned into something even more maniacal if possible “She begged me not to hurt you; that she would help… But I couldn’t trust her… She already failed me… twice…” Sherlock’s eyes widened “Oh, that’s right… you didn’t know” She mocked concern “She was supposed to make you fall, for Jimmy, you know…” She traced another scar with the scalpel and made another shallow cut, Sherlock flinched and she laughed

“She failed, epically, and then you go and save her silly life… I still wonder why…” She traced a finger over Sherlock’s cheekbone “Sure, the cheekbones are…” She licked her lips “Delightful…” She licked Sherlock’s cheekbone and the detective tried to turn his head away but she held it firmly “Salty…” She gave another lick “I understand a little more now… John is very… oral” She traced Sherlock’s lower lip with her tongue “But no…” She turned away and sat again

“Irene fell for you, hard… And after New York…” Mary sighed “She was ready to give everything up for you; give you a choice… Just like Nikka…” Mary smirked widely and played with the scalpel again, Sherlock tried to move, to ask, to talk ‘Nikka? What about Nikka? What have you done to her?’ “Don’t worry, dear” Mary looked at the distressed detective, enjoying his ragged breathing “She died rather… quickly… She was practically dead the moment I left and now is just a matter of time for Johnny boy to find her” She laughed evilly. Head falling back and utterly enjoying the effect the news had on the detective, Sherlock could feel tears running down his face, sure Nikka annoyed him, but he liked her in his own way

“Oh… Don’t worry dear” Mary looked up at him with apparent concern in her eyes “She made a lovely corpse, and she’ll be the perfect lure to bring Johnny boy here…” She guffawed “I really hope he brings Anna Grace…” She sighed again “I really wouldn’t like to have to go and look for her… Do you have any idea how hard it’s been waiting for the last year to be with her?” She went over to the detective’s side again “Sure, you could pretend being dead for two years, but that was too long… and I missed the comfort… and the letter… you should have seen John’s face when he got it… the sadness…. Silly Johnny boy...” She traced another scar and cut it open, Sherlock winced and Mary laughed

“Jim was about to take my money away, so I had to make it disappear. Giving it to Mary Morstan, and then to Johnny boy… before we got married, it was untraceable, and his people wanted to take the money I left for Anna Grace; they indeed stole the money from Isabelle Violet...” She made a disgusted face at the name, as if it tasted sour in her mouth “That was just a scratch…” She cackled maniacally “Jimmy, Jimmy… I miss him… he always made me laugh…” She traced Sherlock’s longest scar with her finger “Poor Jim…” She made another cut on another scar “He was too enamoured with you too…” She looked at Sherlock again and traced a finger over his cheekbone “Obsessed more like it, but infatuated in the end… he allowed you to end up his entire empire, just because he loved the way you played” She groped Sherlock and the detective could feel a cold sweat run down his spine

“I wonder if you can get a hard on with me…” She rubbed him several times but got nothing “Silly me… you like dick…” She smiled at him and licked his lower lip again “Maybe if you close your eyes and think my hand is John’s…” She rubbed again but nothing happened “Fuck it…” She let go of Sherlock and walked away again, frustration clear in her voice, Sherlock sighed in relief “It’s been five days now… I’m getting bored…” She stared down at the blood gathered under the detective; it was dry already, only a few drops were fresh “Maybe I should cut a little deeper… But I really need John to come and see you die…” She left the scalpel on the table “Only if he’s sad he’ll come back to me…”

She looked to her arm and to a non-existent clock again “I guess I’ll give him another day” She picked the honey water and dribbled more on the detective’s lips “I’ll be back in a few hours” She patted Sherlock’s cheek “Don’t go anywhere, love” She winked at him and left the room

‘Five days…’ Sherlock thought ‘I’ve been here for five days…’ He moved his left hand to avoid the cramp and analysed his situation for the hundredth time ‘She’s been torturing me for two days, which means I’ve been sleeping for at least two days. The drug she used at the zoo was strong, one hit and I was on the floor unable to even breathe’ the detective moved his feet and assessed his injuries again, several cuts on his back, most of them over old scars, two shallow cuts on his thighs, a bruised eye, a cut to his forehead, he probably fell at the zoo, a cut to his left ring finger… and his ring was gone…

\--

Everything was ready; Mycroft made sure that there were no bugs in the flat and he tossed all the phones; every communication was to be made via paper and he had found Mary’s informant. Eli, one of the bodyguards that had been following them… It took Mycroft too much time to notice the change, because the body of his man, Jake, was found in Vladivostok, the last time he had seen the entire team, and also, the last time they had used their cars… which meant that she had been following them since the beginning and only acted while they were distracted by the case in Russia, and since they changed the first stablished plans of staying in Moscow, she needed more permanent follow up; also giving her more than enough time to make sure Bell was with John, knowing how many people was part of their security detail, their daily habits, and most of all, access to the places they’ll be staying.

Mycroft did a sweep of the yacht and found bugs and cameras everywhere, he also sent people to the places they had stayed and they found cameras and bugs in the flats in Russia and every hotel they had been since, also in their cars and several of Bell’s toys, and their home in Vienna; not to mention all the bugs and cameras they found at Baker Street. After two days of planning, Mycroft moved John from the flat they were during the night, he sent their plane back to England and “John” was there with “Bell”; once in England, they swept the plane and found cameras and bugs everywhere; every single conversation recorded and luckily, not many security details revealed.

Mycroft made sure that the news about Sherlock, “Nikka” and John, would spread all over the place. Many pictures showing “John” getting off a private plane with his “daughter” at Heathrow, “Nikka’s” corpse recovered near the Danube; and footage of Sherlock being dragged from the Belgrade Zoo by two men, shown 24/7 in the news. He also fabricated a story to justify John’s blog entrance; he explained that they had to pretend being married for a case, giving extra salacious details of the Spanish case they had solved a month ago.  

Mycroft had his reasons to deceive the world; he didn’t know how many people were under Anna Grace’s, Mary’s, whatever her name was, orders; and he didn’t want her hurting Sherlock more than she had already hurt him. Fortunately for Sherlock; his brother had other ways to follow him, knowing how much he liked to “disappear”; and their wedding rings had worked perfectly to conceal the tracking chips; and blessed Mycroft, the minute Anna Grace had taken the ring from Sherlock, he knew exactly where she was.

But he had to conceal all the information from everyone, including Number Four, she had lied about Mary’s death and, she concealed information about Irene, she pretty much had lied to the British Government to protect her own interests. Mycroft had two allies, John and Greg, and all the information was shared with little notes, looks, winks and nothing more. He knew that the others would help Sherlock till death, but he also knew that he had to give them just the information they needed and nothing more.

\--

Mary acted quickly as soon as she found out John was back in England; she sent her team to make sure he was no longer in the flat, and Mycroft was able to capture several men, including the one posing as their security detail, the one that had killed Tim. The men that “killed” Nikka were captured too; she was supposed to be alone, searching for the detective on her own, being the one that loved him the most, it was only natural that she’ll be even more concerned than John. Mary had overseen her capture, her subsequent torture, her begging, but not her death; she left before the men tried to finish Nikka, only to find themselves being taken away by a team of five furious men that threatened with cutting dicks if they so much as looked at her again.

Nikka was at hospital, John at a flat hidden somewhere in Belgrade, Greg was “back” in England with his friend, Mycroft, nowhere to be found; and the news were that they had given up looking for the Detective from Belgrade and had returned to London to try and find him

“See this?” Mary showed Sherlock a newspaper that afternoon “See?” She pointed to the picture of John at Heathrow airport, holding Bell, with her left hand, making Sherlock trash and try to get his wedding band back “Now I have to send people to London and get my family back here” She tossed the paper at Sherlock’s feet. The detective looked down and could read the bold letters, but he knew John, and he knew his brother, he wouldn’t just leave like that. He closed his eyes and examined the picture in his Mind Palace; this man was slightly broader than John, and the baby was too small to be Bell; his family was in Belgrade, somewhere safe.

Mary pulled a phone out of her jacket pocket and started speaking in Serbian, she was giving orders to go to Baker Street and drag John back to Belgrade, and if they had to hurt him, they could do so, but she was the one that would finish him. A cold sweat ran down Sherlock’s spine, Mary had changed her plans and now was willing to kill John “Don’t worry, love” She turned to Sherlock “I’ll take care of Bell and the little peanut, I’ll call him Hamish, just like you wish” Sherlock trashed again and Mary traced a scar deeper this time, making Sherlock stand on his toes and throw his head back, trying to scoot away from the scalpel

“What to do now…” Mary walked away and set the scalpel on the table “They said they’ll call in an hour” She played with Sherlock’s ring “Afghanistan or Iraq?” She read… “How nauseatingly sweet of you” She scowled “Mine just had our initials and the date…” Her eyes teared up “Maybe I should give John the chance to choose” She placed the ring on the table and took the scalpel again “Your life for our marriage; as I see it is a win-win situation, you live and we get married, if he says no…” She watched her reflection on the blood-stained scalpel “I’ll make sure to find a nice new daddy for Anna Grace and Hamish” She walked over to Sherlock and placed the scalpel next to his testicles, the cold of the metal making his breath hitch

“I should damage you enough so the choice won’t be so hard” Mary ran the dull side of the scalpel over Sherlock’s flaccid penis and enjoyed the effect it had on the detective, his eyes clutched close, his breathing ragged, his body more tense than it had been, his teeth biting hard on the over-sized bridle, trying to scoot away from the scalpel “Moriarty made the huge mistake of believing you died; his people were so relieved when they saw you jump… silly men, silly Jimmy… he should have offed you on that roof, put a bullet through your brain and let me take care of Johnny boy from the beginning, but he enjoyed the game too much” She made a shallow cut on Sherlock’s groin, above his penis “I would have enjoyed blowing his brains out, offing you… It would have been… Indescribable…  But you… Oh God! You…” She clapped her hands almost cheerfully “Faking your own death…that was genius!” She crossed the cut with a deeper one and made Sherlock tremble even more; he tried to avoid the shock but the pain was almost unbearable

“Don’t go into shock yet, dear” Mary lifted the scalpel and placed it on Sherlock’s lips, cleaning it over them “I want you to see how I cut it all out” She smirked and licked the detective’s lower lip “You want to know how I did it?” She bit her lower lip and licked the scalpel before placing it next to Sherlock’s hipbone “I followed your example, I got my brains blown out in front of a lot of people, and by no other than Anthea… silly girl… all to save Irene… and now…” She guffawed “If she just had checked it wasn’t me… Jimmy set a great example… good teacher… sore looser” She kept rambling “In the end, there was no way to recognise my face. Now I’m free, the CIA and the MI6 think I died, and no one would go and look after Ada Gabriele Rauch Alvintzi and her husband, Mister Hans Rauch and their babies Anna Grace and Hamish”

Sherlock was trembling, between shock, pain, anger, the need to scream, cry; do something to stop her “It will hurt just a little longer; I promise I’ll be quick, but I just want you to see…” She whined and stepped away to look over her work “I should cut it all out” She stepped closer and grabbed Sherlock penis “I’m still deciding between one or four cuts… One is too easy…” She pursed her lips as if in deep thought “Four cuts and I’ll have the only thing John likes about you in my hand” She rubbed Sherlock and the detective couldn’t stop the tears streaming down his face. She positioned the scalpel directly over the tip; Sherlock closed his eyes and tried to breath, but all the blood was rushing down from his brain to his feet, a loud buzzing in his ears.

Mary’s hand let him go, the scalpel fell to his feet and Mary leaned over him, a sad smile on her lips. Blood started streaming down her chest, a single breath and another bullet was adorning her head. She fell forward and Sherlock was suddenly able to breathe again. There he was, John, his John, with a smoking gun in his hand                


	88. Under Mamie’s care, Number Three and the home in Pau. September 2nd to September 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bell keeps asking when you’ll wake up” He kept carding his fingers through Sherlock’s hair “I keep telling her that soon” He brushed a curl away from Sherlock’s fringe “She can’t sleep, she wants you to play for her and read to her; she still wanders what happened to Harry after he fell from the Devil’s snare” He kept talking and caressing “I’ve tried to read it to her but she refuses to listen to me; so now I have started to read her the Grimm Brothers’ stories and she laughs so hard! She’s truly a Holmes” John chuckled

“I love you” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear, not letting disappointment, at the lack of response, settle in his heart. Like every morning for the past week; he had taken care of Sherlock’s daily ablutions, and now was combing his hair; it had grown quite a bit since his last cut before they left to Russia almost four months ago. He liked it long, in spite of what Sherlock felt. He loved carding his fingers through those luscious curls, playing with them while he watched Sherlock sleep, messing them while they were kissing, pulling them while he was getting head, and holding them while they were making love

“I love you” He repeated to the silence and placed a soft kiss on Sherlock’s fringe, enjoying the ticklish sensation he got on his nose every time he kissed Sherlock’s forehead. He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with Sherlock’s scent as the tears fell freely from his eyes. He didn’t wipe them away; he needed them to fall free while he was alone, he was done being brave, but he had to be, at least for Bell

“Bell keeps asking when you’ll wake up” He kept carding his fingers through Sherlock’s hair “I keep telling her that soon” He brushed a curl away from Sherlock’s fringe “She can’t sleep, she wants you to play for her and read to her; she still wanders what happened to Harry after he fell from the Devil’s snare” He kept talking and caressing “I’ve tried to read it to her but she refuses to listen to me; so now I have started to read her the Grimm Brothers’ stories and she laughs so hard! She’s truly a Holmes” John chuckled

“She misses your voice” He sighed and kissed Sherlock softly on the lips “Maybe not as much as I do; but she does” He passed his thumb over Sherlock’s cheekbone “Mycroft’s here. He helped me get you out of that horrid hospital at Belgrade; they wouldn’t let me see you until he arrived and practically threatened to kill every single doctor and nurse at the damned hospital” he tried to smile but failed miserably “To avoid more stupidity, he decided to bring you to our home in Pau as soon as the infection relented” He grabbed Sherlock’s hand in his “Yesterday was a long day; Bell was moody, Mycroft was yelling to every Peter, Paul and Mary that crossed his way because they were being morons, and the poor pilot was truly nervous, he was scared shitless about having to fly with a yelling Mycroft, a crying toddler and a full medic staff for seven hours” He managed a chuckle

“I wanted to remove the catheter but the doctor that received you looked at me as if I was insane; that is until your brother yelled at him seven ways to Sunday telling him that not only I am your husband, but your personal physician and if I wanted to take the catheter off I could do it” He chuckled again “But I have to wait until you wake up to take it off; and if you don’t open your eyes, I don’t know for how long would it stay in” He sighed again, rubbing Sherlock’s knuckles with his finger

“Please…” Sherlock’s voice came coarse and broken, from the lack of use

“Sherlock?” John jumped in his chair and loomed over Sherlock, not believing he had heard his husband’s voice for the first time in almost two weeks

“Take it off, please” Sherlock said, more firmly this time, but his voice was still coarse and John gave him some water

“I should have known that threatening you with a catheter was the answer to having you open your eyes” John could feel the tears falling, he smiled down at his husband and kissed him softly everywhere he could

“Please?” Sherlock asked again

“Yes, yes” John kissed him again “Let me get the syringe and some alcohol” He tousled his curls “I’ll be right back, love” His smile was dazzling and happy

He removed the catheter with eased practice, looking at his husband’s face for any sign of pain or discomfort; he checked the wounds and made sure they were closing correctly, cleaning the skin around the gauze, changing the dressings and cleaning him softly

Sherlock closed his eyes, covering his face with his arms; trying to delete Mary’s hands form his skin with the warm sensation of John’s hand over him

“They are closing perfectly” John’s voice startled him “Almost unnoticeable” He ran a hand over Sherlock’s thigh and leaned in planting a soft kiss

“Thank you” Sherlock managed to whisper and John looked up, to find his beloved hiding behind his arms

“Look at me?” He rubbed Sherlock’s elbow, never moving his other hand from Sherlock’s thigh

“She… touched… me” His voice was shaky “I want to delete her hands from me” Sherlock was shivering

“I’m sorry, love, I’m sorry” John startled and removed his hands away from Sherlock

“NO!” Sherlock practically shouted “Please… don’t stop” He begged and pulled John’s hand to his stomach and lower “Delete her from my body”

“I will, my love, I will” John caressed Sherlock’s thigh again and leaned in to plant as many kisses as possible, minding the dressings Sherlock had all over his body; Mary was vicious, she had cut Sherlock’s scars open, one by one, fortunately for them, the cuts were shallow, mostly to maximise pain and to make the scars more prominent, except the ones at Sherlock’s groin; John had heard her threaten Sherlock with castration, and if it weren’t for John… John closed his eyes and tears streamed down; all was his fault…

“Please, don’t cry” Sherlock tried to pull John close, but he couldn’t move; he had a broken rib; his back was a map, again; he had new scars on his legs, groin, hand… he looked at his hand and was happy to see his ring back

John looked up and caught the sight of Sherlock’s smile “She left it on the table, when Mycroft’s men came to remove her body and help me get you down from the cross she had you on; Mycroft handed it to me. I had it cleaned and polished and put it back on your finger yesterday…” He looked down “That scar will fade” He said when Sherlock frowned at the thin pink line on the side of his finger

“Look at me?” This time it was Sherlock the one asking “It’s not your fault” He reached down an took John’s hand with his, rubbing his thumb over John’s ring “It wasn’t your fault” He repeated and John knew he was being serious, Sherlock loathes to repeat himself

“I brought her to our lives” John sobbed, covering his mouth with his free hand

“Moriarty did” Sherlock took a shaky breath “and I brought him to our lives” he let go of John’s hand

“No, you didn’t!” John grabbed Sherlock’s hand and started kissing it and Sherlock relaxed feeling as John let go of all the guilt and pain in those kisses

“I need…” Sherlock squirmed

“Anything!” John looked up

“Bathroom?” He flushed that beautiful shade of cherry John loved so much

“Sure; let me help you up. Want to take a bath?”

“Yes, please” Sherlock was shaking from the effort, his legs and arms flimsy still. John carried him easily to the bathroom and helped him stand and pee; Sherlock letting out a sigh of relief the moment he emptied his un-catheterised bladder. John helped him sat and gave him privacy to finish his business while the tub filled, when he was ready, Sherlock called for John again and let him carry to the tub and wash him slowly “Get in with me?” He asked when he was clean; John nodded, emptied the tube and filled it again, climbing behind Sherlock and holding him close; Sherlock leaning on his chest

“Boys?” Isabelle called from their room “Are you okay?” She asked and opened slowly the bathroom door. There they were; both fast asleep in each other’s arms, enjoying the still warm water “Boys?” She called a little louder; she knew that too much water exposure wouldn’t be good for his grandson’s wounds, but this was exactly what he needed, his John close to him

John startled awake and looked up, confused, not knowing what had happened or where he was. He looked at Sherlock and to Isabelle again and covered Sherlock’s penis with his hand and signalled for Isabelle to hand him a towel; Isabelle handed him a small one and John covered his husband better, before pushing him softly; he grabbed a bathrobe and covered himself, climbing out of the tub, he carried Sherlock to the bed, Sherlock mumbling something with John’s name in it and scooting closer. John dried him and moved him to their bed; the sheets and pillowcases clean, a new duvet and some food on a tray. John redressed the injuries, kissing each reverently, getting in bed next his husband, holding him close. They both slept for the next twelve hours, not knowing what was happening around them

Mamie had moved momentarily to their home in Pau, her staff helping her to take care of them, she was making sure that Bell was well taken care of and that her boys had enough time to rest and recuperate. John hadn’t slept for almost two weeks, maybe an hour every day, and he would be sitting next to Sherlock all day long. She had arrived to Belgrade the instant Mycroft called and she made sure that her grandsons, because she considered both her grandsons, had nothing to worry about, especially little Isabelle.

Violet, Siger, Greg and Mycroft, left the day they arrived to Pau; Mycroft making sure that every request John had would be fulfilled by the staff he had hired; under the threat they would die the most painful death if they were to disturb, upset or offend his brother in law in any way. The entire hired staff nodded and followed orders, checking the grounds, making sure no one was following them and sending personal reports every twelve hours; Mycroft needed to be certain that nothing like this would happen again

Bell kept on asking about Tim; she missed him, not as much as she missed Daddy Sherlock, but Tim was her friend; uncle Myc had explained to her that Tim was in heaven, though he scowled at himself for the lie, but it was easier than to explain he was rotting away, that was a job he would gladly leave to Sherlock. He introduced her to her new nanny; Amanda, a young woman of twenty four, specialised in child care; he knew they’ll be needing someone with more experience now that the little peanut’s arrival was getting closer            

Bell took her time to get to know Amanda, at first she didn’t want anything to do with her, asking for Tim all the time, but the young woman knew exactly how to handle her; and she was distracted and painting away her sorrow after a couple of days. Amanda proved to be an excellent help when they had arrived to the hospital and Bell wanted to be with Daddy Sher; she had managed to have the little girl look at her father without touching him and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek, and also leaving Daddy John to take care of Daddy Sher every night.

And now that they were in Pau, at their home; Amada would keep her distracted, playing at the pool, riding at one of the horseys Mamie had bought for her; but Bell wouldn’t allow anybody to read to her Harry Potter, only Daddy Sher could read it to her. Amanda was a perfect markswoman, she had the perfect score, she was a martial arts specialist and she had successfully shadowed them for their entire trip without being noticed; she was the one that found Jake’s body in Vladivostok and reported that something was off to Mycroft the moment they arrived to the Belgrade’s zoo

She was replacing Number Four slowly; and the best way to do it was taking care of Sherlock’s kids until Mycroft was ready to let Number Four go; in the best way he seems fit; so far, getting herself killed in any mission; she already knew she had made many mistakes, misleading John when he took him to Irene; misleading Sherlock when she sent him to finish Maupertuis, hiding the fact that Mary and Irene were both alive; knowing how Moriarty had tricked everyone; she was the British Government behind the British Government, even though she only knew half of the things that happened

Number Four knew the mission in New York would probably be her last; the young woman, Number Three, Amanda, had been promoted from stealth security detail to nanny in a few hours and now she was in charge of the Holmes-Watson security; and the worst of all for her, but the best for Amanda; was that she was even more discrete than Number Four and she knew what to tell Mycroft to keep him happy and also to maintain the privacy of the couple.

John was pleased with her; she had handled the situation perfectly; she had taken care of Bell as soon as Mycroft appointed her; and the little girl was distracted all the time her father went missing; unlike Tim; she didn’t blush every time John thanked her for something; she was perceptive and knew when to leave him alone, take Bell away; or when to leave the girl with her father. She had also shown great compassion when the doctors had treated John offhandedly, dismissing him like he was nothing; she was the one that had contacted Isabelle, Violet and Siger to take care of Bell; but John was sure that she was slightly in love with Sherlock, because he had caught her stroking his curls one afternoon, when she thought he had gone to the flat to take a shower.

John’s suspicions where confirmed three days after Sherlock woke up; she was staring at the Detective with longing eyes; and every time John kissed him, grabbed his hand or shared a secret with his recovering husband; she would look away, blush, or leave. John pointed her behaviour to Sherlock and the madman simply shrugged, he had no idea why she liked him; he had done nothing for her… according to him

Amanda was in love with Sherlock since she first laid eyes on him; on his wedding day… She was one of the many security details posing as a waitress; she had no idea he was the groom, and when she had gathered the courage to ask him out, offer him a drink; he saw John holding his hand, kissing it softly, caressing the matching ring in Sherlock’s finger and then giving him a tender kiss. She decided then and there that she needed to know more about the two of them; why the secrecy of the wedding; why there were so many security details, why so many security measures.

She spent seven days and nights reading everything she could find about John Watson and Sherlock Holmes; she had helped them when Moriarty “came” back to life; without them knowing it; she was there when Smith threatened to kill Sherlock, and she was there when “Mary’s” corpse was lifted from the scene; the moment she saw the dark hair she knew Number Four had deceived the boss; and she told Mycroft all about it, gaining that way her promotion

Mycroft sent her to take of the couple and she accepted gladly; she was the one checking on them all the time without them noticing she was there, absolutely discrete, giving them the time they needed, not intruding like the other birds did; she enjoyed seeing them being lovely and tender with one another; she had enjoyed seeing them hold hands, dance, she was a voyeur of their romantic moments, always muting the microphones when things got heated, turning away the cameras, or simply turning them off.

She loved Sherlock and wanted for him to be happy; and one way to be with him, even though they weren’t together, was taking care of them, the Holmes-Watson, even if it meant disobeying direct orders, and keeping the British Government slightly in the dark. Mycroft knew all of this, of course he knew; that’s why he had chosen her to protect Sherlock, because she would have Sherlock’s best interests as her own; that’s why she was now Number Three

They spent their days relaxing, enjoying the time without rushing from one museum to the other, without wondering who is looking at them and why; without the crows -Sherlock had started calling them that- following them around. Sure, they were there, all the time, but at least while they were home they weren’t followed like prisoners on probation, their every movement scrutinised, followed, reported, filmed and noted…

“How are you feeling?” John asked his husband their last afternoon in Pau

“Much better” He sighed as he held John’s hand in his and walked with him around town

“You look much better” John smiled and kissed his hand, brushing his lips softly on every knuckle

“I miss you” Sherlock said, holding John close and kissing his temple

“I’m here” John looked up and placed a kiss on Sherlock’s cheek

“Yes, you are…” Sherlock sighed and let John go, holding his hand again

“Sherlock…” John stopped and pulled Sherlock in his arms, kissing him fiercely on the lips

“Finally” Sherlock breathed into the kiss and melted in John’s arms

“You mean you miss me… miss me?” John smirked against Sherlock’s lips; Sherlock hummed his response “Well…” John hugged Sherlock from the waist and kept walking

“Well what?” Sherlock tried to turn in John’s arms but the Doctor pushed him to the funicular

“We need a date” John said shrugging

“In the funicular?”

“We can talk, away from everybody” He pushed Sherlock a bit more; the car doors closing right behind them leaving the crows to take the next car

“I love you!” Sherlock hugged John close and kissed him lovingly. They stayed in the car going back and forth, while their security detail tried to find them everywhere, they had at least a couple of hours to talk about whatever they needed

“I love you” John kissed him back and nestled next to him in the car “I’ve missed you too” John said whispering in Sherlock’s ear, not minding who was looking for the first time in what seemed like years

“It’s been too long since we were together” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear

“I know” John whispered back, enjoying the intimacy “but I needed to make sure you were fine, that your wounds would close correctly, and that having sex won’t hurt you” he rubbed Sherlock’s cheek with his thumb and gave him sweet pecks

“And I thank you for that” Sherlock closed his eyes and enjoyed the tenderness “But it’s been almost a month” Sherlock whined

“It’s been two weeks, love” John brushed their lips together, teasing Sherlock’s mouth with his

“It feels like a month to me…” Sherlock complained again, but his voice was soft, not whinny

“I know…” John sighed and played with Sherlock’s curls “Let’s see how you are tonight, and depending on that, we can see what we can do”

“Promise?”

“Promise” John smiled

They rode the funicular for another hour, kissing, holding hands, teasing each other, enjoying a crow free honeymoon for once; unfortunately, their detail was waiting for them in the freaking black sedan the moment they climbed out the car, they just sighed and shook their heads, they had no other choice but go back to the house. That night, John made sure Sherlock was better; he removed the dressings, and kissed each new scar, hating the woman that had done that to his beloved

They bathed together, enjoying the closeness, and John made another promise to his detective, they would make love tomorrow, back in their home, back in Baker Street, in their bed, almost a year after their wedding night; and they would do it as if it were the first time, no one around, Bell could stay with her grandparents before the wedding; Mrs. Hudson would be at Mamie’s house in London, and Sherlock would find all the cameras and microphones to leave Mycroft in the dark… Sherlock agreed immediately and snuggled closer to his John, loving the man that had worshiped, once again, his every scar.


	89. A long overdue apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I was his first word” Mycroft said to the tumbler before putting it away and grabbing his tea, letting a sad sigh leave his lips, and his eyes filled with tears “He was five months old and he kept repeating my name, though it took me a week to realise he was saying my name because he kept saying “mice” and I though he was talking about mice, and I kept looking for mice in the house until he pointed at me and repeated “mice”… then I knew he was talking about me…” Mycroft’s expression was sweet; no wonder he never corrected Bell when she called him Mycof…

****

As planned, they arrived to London in the first hours of the afternoon; right before Bell’s nap time. Mamie and Amanda were with them; all their bags and Bell’s stuff was already in 221B and Mycroft had told them to wait for a surprise.

When they arrived, Mrs. Hudson was waiting for them, tears of happiness in her eyes, she distracted them with tea and biscuits; until Mycroft’s people made sure the flat was safe. She handed them their keys and Sherlock looked at her, having no idea why she had handed them the keys to 221C

“Go and see your surprise” Mrs. Hudson flashed a smile at them and sent them both to check the flat

To their surprise, 221C was transformed; a lab for Sherlock, a surgery for John, and an office for both to receive their clients without disturbing their sacred flat. Sherlock checked his lab and was happy to know that he would be working so close to John; many patients of his had been forwarded already and all he had to do was tell them that he was open for business; his position at the hospital was waiting for him too, and so was his work at the University.

They both were utterly happy, but they still needed to sort the room arrangements for Isabelle and Hamish, they couldn’t have them living in the same room for too long. The flat was clean, like it had never been before, all the lab stuff in the flat downstairs. Mycroft had improved the space and made two rooms, one for his niece and one for his nephew, his team had left all of Bell’s toys and books in her room upstairs and he had left Hamish’s room like a blank canvas. Bell’s room looked like the one at the yacht, giving the girl a sense of familiarity

They decided quickly that Hamish’s room would be a pirate room, blue and white; Mycroft’s team would decorate it as soon as they left, and the room would be ready for the baby’s arrival. A cot was placed in their bedroom, just in case; and they found they had their cars bac, finding the keys at his nightstand; he decided then and there that he should ask John which one was his favourite and sell the other two; the Mercedes would be brilliant, to go to Sussex during the weekends; and he found himself thinking about staying at Sussex more and more

John was thinking the exact same thing; leave London for good; even though London was ingrained in them, John was happy just to be with Sherlock, sitting next to the fire, drinking tea, talking old cases, watching Isabelle play, imagining Hamish. He played with the car keys; they would have to sell at least one; he looked at the Jag’s keys fondly, remembering those first months of their trip, the cold wind in his face, the thrill he felt evert time Sherlock made the car purr; yes, the sports car would be amazing to keep, but they had a family now, so the more sensible thing to do was keep the Mercedes

Sherlock looked at him knowingly, they needed just one look to know what the other was thinking; John handed the car keys to Sherlock and he left them at the mantle before reaching for John’s hand and leading them to their bedroom; it had been so long since they were in their home, in their room, in their bed. Instead of the awaited sex fest promised less than twenty four hours ago; they snuggled closer and closed their eyes, basking in the delightful feeling they had, the sweet scent of home in their sheets, their clothes, their pillows, the warmth that spread between them now that they were strangely safe in their own nest, a cocoon created with their bodies and their sheets, and they slept, like they hadn’t slept since the day they left.

The next morning started with a cry; Bell was trapped in her room by a cleverly placed baby door at the top of the stairs; they were both slightly disoriented but remembered immediately where they were, smiling at each other, Sherlock went to get their daughter while John busied about the kitchen with breakfast. Bell’s high chair, the latest addition, was at their table, and John couldn’t help but smile when he thought about their lives a year ago; they got rid of Smith; Mary pretended to be dead; they were planning a wedding, and riding the world of a vicious murderer; Moriarty’s sham was over, and they were both fussing about their wedding vows, going again through the guest list and Sherlock had spent a few days sleeping on the sofa because he had suggested John was somehow the bride

Their morning routine of washing dishes, dressing Bell, showering and getting ready to go meet the peanut was interrupted by Mycroft’s arrival; he looked slightly pale and Sherlock worried he had bad news, but deduced quickly he was nervous about tomorrow and that he was in dire need of a glare contest. Unlike other times, he sat on the sofa and picked Bell, the little girl sat happily in her uncle’s lap and played with his tie pin while Mycroft stared at nothing, growing paler by the second

John mouthed “I love you” to Sherlock and went to the bathroom to get ready

“Actually” Mycroft cleared his throat “I would like to talk to John” he looked at his brother and Sherlock knew that Mycroft had been chastised by everyone, that he had apologised profusely to Mrs. Hudson for what happened with Smith and the Moriarty sham, and now for what happened with Mary; he had also apologised to their parents, for everything that had happened, that had been an awkward conversation, it started in Greece, continued in Russia, and had finished the afternoon they arrived to Belgrade to take care of little Bell; he also apologised to Mamie, the day he took Sherlock to her house, his back slashed, two days before returning him to London to chase that underground terrorist cell; he apologised to Greg, they even broke up for a while because of what he did to Sherlock, and when he saw Greg in Greece, and Greg proposed to him he knew all was forgotten; he begged for forgiveness to little Bell and to every single picture of the peanut; and now that he was here, he had to make amends with the man he had hurt the most with his ambition… John Watson

John walked out of the bathroom directly to their bedroom, calling for Sherlock, expecting Mycroft was gone. Sure, Sherlock had forgiven his brother, but John still had some issues at hand; he would have enjoyed slapping Mycroft right in the face, punch his pompous nose; break a few bones… after the wedding of course, he couldn’t do that to Greg… but he could wait, he could wait for him to return from his honeymoon, and then slap the shite out of him for using his little brother like a puppet; not that Sherlock was a puppet, but Mycroft though his little brother was, and used his passion for puzzles against him and turned him into a toy…

“John?” Sherlock called from the living room and John peeked through the door

“Yes?” He answered with a slightly cold voice, Sherlock rarely called him John anymore, unless they were in bed 

“Could you please come to the living room?” Sherlock was using his schooled voice, the one he used when he was with a client or with the Yard morons

“Be right there” John undressed quickly, wrapped the towel around his waist again and left through the bathroom door, he was so glad they now had 221C

“It’s just Mycroft” Sherlock said from the kitchen and John sighed with relief, he redressed, almost as quickly as he undressed and was in the living room shortly after

“Mycroft?” John looked down at his brother in law and worried the man would throw up in the next few seconds; since all that followed was silence he went to the kitchen looked at Sherlock up and down and Sherlock shrugged, shook his head and handed him a cup of tea before giving him a soft kiss. They went back to the living room and Sherlock looked at his brother, one glance was enough, he left the living room, showered and dressed rather quickly, grabbed Bell and left the two men alone in the flat.

The silence was awkward after Sherlock left, at least the sounds of him showering and dressing filled the flat with something, but now that he was gone, all that filled the space was John’s calmed breathing and Mycroft’s ragged and short one “Tea?” John offered and Mycroft nodded, John busied himself in the kitchen for far too long. He usually had pleasant conversations with Mycroft, but then again, they only happened when Greg and Sherlock were around, and he was practically forced to interact with his brother in law

Mycroft was seating on the sofa so John sat on his chair and waited, sipping at his tea and watching Mycroft tremble. He was really enjoying this

“I deserve to be punched repeatedly on the face” Mycroft said suddenly, barely a whisper, but the silence in the flat allowed John to hear the statement clearly

“Yes, you do” John answered nonchalantly, as if he was talking about the weather

“I’ve used people in the worst ways possible” He wished his tea was some scotch and John took the hint, serving him a full tumbler which Mycroft downed in one swift swig and practically begged for another one “And the person I’ve used most is my brother” John rolled his eyes, as if saying “the understatement of the year” and snorted at the commentary “I find myself conflicted at times” Mycroft continued “between my duty and my love… I’ve schooled myself to pretend that caring is not an advantage, but the second my father put Sherlock in my arms I knew I was lost…” Mycroft closed his eyes, and breathed in, deeply, the slight smell of camomile and soft lavender in the air, reminding him of his little Bell, and the way Sherlock smelled as a baby, of soft lavender and honey “I’ve loved him deeply, intensely, even stupidly, from the instant I held him in my arms, and he looked at me with grey eyes and scowled…” Mycroft chuckled

John smiled at the older man, he somehow looked younger, no lines in his face, as he talked about his younger brother, John remained silent, sipping his tea and watched as Mycroft went back in time to the day he received his little brother in his arms

“I was his first word” Mycroft said to the tumbler before putting it away and grabbing his tea, letting a sad sigh leave his lips, and his eyes filled with tears “He was five months old and he kept repeating my name, though it took me a week to realise he was saying my name because he kept saying “mice” and I though he was talking about mice, and I kept looking for mice in the house until he pointed at me and repeated “mice”… then I knew he was talking about me…” Mycroft’s expression was sweet; no wonder he never corrected Bell when she called him Mycof…   

John kept looking at the man in front of him, getting to know him slightly better, he had worry lines on his forehead, and he realised that whenever he looked at Sherlock he had sad eyes, the same sad eyes he had seen in Sherlock when he was looking at his brother, a sense of longingness, of years lost, bottled and locked away happiness…

“We were the best of friends until he was nine…” Mycroft sighed “I went to university and had to leave him; he fell ill and I had the chance to enjoy my little brother for a little while, before Redbeard… Mummy and Father bought him that dog… and I was replaced, having to pretend I liked the animal…” His eyes filled with tears “I felt so angry… and the bloody dog had to die three years later and his little heart was broken… again…” Mycroft shivered and picked his tumbler again leaving the already cold tea on the side “I hated the damn dog; but felt utterly guilty when he was put down… After that day, and since then, Sherlock has always been nine years old to me… I needed to protect him… keep him safe from any harm, any wrong doing, whether it was my fault or not…”

John looked at him and felt compelled to console the man in front of him; he seemed so fragile, so lost, in need of a hand or a shoulder… He sat next to Mycroft and put a hand on his shoulder, Mycroft smiled up at him; he was feeling small, like a child left alone in a corner to think about the wrongs he had done, and he was grateful for the man that was sitting next to him; the man that should hate him more than anyone, and now was showing him kindness, respect, love…

“I tried to get my little brother back… but life in the fast line proved to be thrilling, travelling abroad, never sleeping, never being bored, going on missions, becoming the man behind the man, being able to manipulate the entire world with the swirl of a finger…I was to enthralled by my new way of life that thinking about going home and spending and afternoon playing pirates became a nuisance instead of a pleasure; and Sherlock, being Sherlock, noticed, and he simply stopped asking…” Mycroft was trembling, the hand holding the glass shaking uncontrollably, John held the hand in his and soothed the man next to him; he probably was as damaged as Sherlock, maybe even more…

“That’s when I taught him that caring is not an advantage, he was sixteen, first year of university, and he had fallen for a moron, that idiot Victor Trevor” Mycroft was shaking violently, John could hear the anger in his voice “I taught him not to care, not to listen to people talking stupid things about him… but Victor… the twit…” Mycroft closed his eyes and let his head fall “Since he was a kid, Victor Trevor never took any interest until that twat, Sebastian Wilkes, pointed at my beautiful, graceful, innocent, brilliant little brother, and made him the target of their attention, their stupid, unwanted and unsolicited attention” A tear rolled from Mycroft’s eye and he let it fall, John held him and arm over his shoulders and allowed the older man to cry on his shoulder

“And the bastard…” Mycroft sobbed, crying uncontrollably, John sat there, holding him, knowing exactly how he felt, having heard what had happened and wanting to kill the bastard that hurt his Sherlock so much; he was just his husband, he couldn’t imagine how Mycroft must have felt, it was his little brother, the baby he once held in his arms…

“I know” John breathed “I know” He repeated as he soothed the sobbing man in his arms

Mycroft tried to straighten up but John’s arms proved to be quite comforting and comfortable and he stayed there, feeling like a child in need of protection and care “When he met you I was so relieved” Mycroft sighed “The doctor that was the making of Sherlock Holmes, the soldier that was the making of Sherlock Holmes; and I was right you did him good, and actually made him better than he already is…” Mycroft slowly returned the hug, now he understood what Sherlock said about John being home to him “When you married Miss Morstan I repeated to him that caring was not an advantage, I couldn’t go and see my brother’s heart being shattered by the man he had loved most in his entire life; the man he had died for and sacrificed almost three years of his life for…” Mycroft was shivering again, but this time because of the feeling John’s arms were producing in him…

“I hated you” Mycroft burrowed closer “And you went back to the woman that tried to kill my brother…” He inhaled deeply and his nose was full of John’s strong scent, a scent that made him feel secure “I hated you… but I understood that you had to move on… I had helped my brother deceive you, it was not my right hating you, and if my brother loved you, I had to at least respect you…” He inhaled deeply again, feeling all the anger, pain and sorrow leave his body and fill his mind with other things… “And then…” Mycroft breathed properly for the first time since he entered the flat that morning, letting go of John slowly, still breathing him in “You performed a miracle and gave my brother back to me…” He was holding John’s hands, unable to let go of them “We talked, he forgave me, he hugged me, and it felt as if I was carrying him for the first time in my arms, that little blue bundle that my father put in my arms on that snowy January afternoon” Mycroft smiled, feeling his heart light for the first time in years

John allowed him to hold, hug, burrow, caress, inhale, breath, tug, squeeze all he wanted, this man was opening his heart to another man that as far as anyone was concerned, was a complete stranger; he had no words, so he just listened

“I owe you a long overdue apology, Doctor Watson… John… brother…” Mycroft looked down, feeling nervous again; but John’s hands were grounding him, the light squeeze, the reassurance in them encouraged him to keep going “I made your life hell for almost three years, I forced you to live a sad and grey life after my brother died, but I had to keep you safe, or Sherlock would have killed me with his bare hands… Miss Morstan was my next target, but Sherlock said that I should find a way to protect her, that your happiness depended on it, so I looked the other side and let her live”

“You knew about her?” John looked at him, he was hurt

“I knew that she shot my brother, and found out about her secret identity after you moved back to Baker. One day at the hospital, after Magnussen and Irene visited my brother, I talked to Sherlock and he said he had a plan… I didn’t know his plan entailed killing Magnussen” Mycroft let out a long and shaky sigh “I’m sorry John… Sherlock acted on your best interests, and I tried to act on his… and the one time I respected his wishes…”

“Wait…” John was confused “You knew Irene was alive?” He was befuddled “And Magnussen? When?” His left hand was shaking and Mycroft held it tighter “I don’t understand…” John closed his eyes “He asked you to spare her?” John couldn’t believe how deep Sherlock’s love was, and he fell more in love with him in that very instant

“Yes, I know Irene is alive and well, in spite of what Miss Morstan said to Sherlock, and Magnussen went to torture my brother, harass him… sexually… and yes, he did… he asked me to spare her, to keep her safe, for your sake” Mycroft let out a long sigh, slumping back and feeling his body light but his mind slightly heavy with John’s scent…  “And when he asked to leave you two alone before he boarded I thought he was going to tell you that he loved you and say goodbye…” He looked at John and saw every emotion pass those blue eyes along with the memory “He actually tried to kill himself with that overdose” Mycroft’s breath caught in his throat and had to do an enormous effort to swallow the knot that was forming again “The plane would have landed and he would have been dead” He covered his mouth to stop another sob “I fought so hard to keep him here, I tried to keep him safe, but he has his own mind…” He shook his head trying to clear his eyes “I was so glad when you said yes to him… I kept looking at his face and he was so relieved when you did…”

“I was the one that was relieved when he said yes… I couldn’t believe my luck” John chuckled softly and looked at Mycroft, he had never seen his eyes properly, they were a nice shade of green, and he had the look of a child that was relieved of his punishment

“I’m so sorry John, for everything… For all the pain I’ve caused you, for the years you had to suffer his absence, for the many times I deceived and played you both, for the times I forced you to do as I wished, and for never respecting you enough, nor trusting you enough to keep my little brother safe”

“It’s okay, Mycroft” John was too noble, too kind, and Mycroft was grateful for that “We’ve all done our best, and our worst… and you were a kid in charge of a kid that is as intelligent and brilliant as you are”                 

“Thank you, John” Mycroft sighed in relief “May I?” He opened his arms and John shook his head smiling and gave his brother in law the hug he needed

“Greg’s a lucky sod” John laughed and squeezed Mycroft in a big papa bear hug                   


	90. London for a wedding. September 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mycroft and Greg didn’t mind that all the attention was centred in the beautiful little girl, it gave them time to be alone in the sea of people Violet had invited; and she had totally made up to them by being cute, siting and playing with them, feeding them cake when they cut it, and dancing around with them when the time to dance came; people awed and whistled, cheered and clapped when the little girl danced between her uncles and later between her fathers, falling into pace with Sherlock easily and beaming at her father. But her face wasn’t as priceless as Sherlock’s was; he looked down at his little lady, falling in love with his little girl more and more every day.

The venue was beautiful; Violet had decorated the Dining Room with grey and white fabrics, white roses in every table, and to the grooms’ pleasure, no more than fifty people were invited. Bell was the flower girl, Greg’s daughters were maids of honour and Sherlock and John the best men. The entire room awed when little Bell walked down the aisle with a tiny basked full of white rose petals and her white and grey dress, her wild curls tamed with a white hairband.

She had no idea what to do and ran back to her Daddy Sher and he walked with her down the aisle; followed by Greg’s daughters and John at the end. The grooms walked together, holding hands, their matching morning suits blending perfectly with the rest of the decoration. Violet was already in tears, watching her youngest holding his daughter so tenderly made her happy, and the look John had when Sherlock held their baby girl was priceless. She almost missed Mycroft and Greg walking towards the small table at the end of the room; Bell had managed to steal the show.

After the ceremony, where the grooms promised each other to protect, care and love their partner, Bell stole the show again, having her fathers kiss the same way her uncles had done. Sally Donovan yelled “I knew it!” and every single person in the room turned to her; she was as red as a cherry and hid her face behind her hands, making Sherlock and John chuckle and share another kiss

When lunch was served, she walked with Daddy Sher from table to table greeting all the guests, introducing her little brother Hamish to them; she had a picture of the peanut clutched in her hand since yesterday, and there was no way in the world she would let the picture go. She pointed at the little baby and introduced him as “Mish, my baby brother, because I am a big sister”

The doctor’s appointment had gone marvellously, they confirmed they were having a boy and Bell was excited to become a big sister; she stopped crying only after the doctor printed another copy of the sonogram for her, reassuring her and promising that in just a few more months she’ll be able to hold him; she rested her head on Simone’s belly for a while and tried to hear to Hamish, the little boy moved and she squealed, and Simone promised to visit them during the week they’ll be staying in London.

Mycroft and Greg didn’t mind that all the attention was centred in the beautiful little girl, it gave them time to be alone in the sea of people Violet had invited; and she had totally made up to them by being cute, siting and playing with them, feeding them cake when they cut it, and dancing around with them when the time to dance came; people awed and whistled, cheered and clapped when the little girl danced between her uncles and later between her fathers, falling into pace with Sherlock easily and beaming at her father. But her face wasn’t as priceless as Sherlock’s was; he looked down at his little lady, falling in love with his little girl more and more every day.

Then John had a turn around the dance floor with her, she leaded quite perfectly and John simply followed, laughing heartily at her faces and gestures; the entire room was mesmerised with the little girl, the other couples dancing around them, paying more attention to her than at their own movements. They hadn’t met another girl as charismatic as Isabelle Violet Holmes-Watson

After lunch, cake and dance; Sherlock was talking to Greg about a few cases, while Mycroft and John talked about a few things Mycroft needed from the couple when they arrived to America; their relationship had improved greatly and John spared a hug or two for Mycroft when the man needed one… Greg and Sherlock looked at each other with wild eyes when Mycroft melted in John’s arms and sighed contently, closing his eyes and returning the hug not minding who was looking.

Sherlock made his way to his husband, he was trying not to act as a jealous prat, but he was the only one that could hug John that way, melt in his arms and feel like he was home, no one else had that right, and Greg couldn’t believe his brand new husband was hugging another man and looked like the happiest man on earth, instead of looking like the happiest man on earth hugging him

“Brother…” Sherlock huffed, making John look at him with questioning eyes

“Yeah…” Mycroft sighed contently in John’s arms

“Your husband… Remember Greg?” Sherlock managed to control his voice but he was seething “He’s wondering why you’re hugging MY husband instead of him…” He finished with a large, angry breath

“Because he doesn’t give bear hugs like John does, and I needed comfort, little brother” Mycroft answered nonchalantly, though it was a half lie…

“But he’s my husband” Sherlock practically whined and John let go of Mycroft for a brief second before hugging his husband and have him calm down, and then holding them both

“Is there room for me?” Greg asked and made John chuckle

“I only have two arms, but if Sherlock shifts a little and hugs my waist maybe you can fit somewhere” John hardly managed not to laugh, snorting every second word. They all had to let go when little Bell came and hugged her Daddy John’s legs and asked to be picked up, settling in his arms and falling asleep rather quickly                  

“My sentiment exactly…” Mycroft sighed and ruffled his niece’s curls. She looked peaceful in her father’s arms, the exact same way he felt and he shivered. Greg held him close but Mycroft couldn’t help himself and compared the hugs. Sure, Greg made him feel loved, wanted, needed, desired, safe, but John’s arms… John’s arms were those of a father, that loved unconditionally no matter if his child was a murderer or a king, not even his own father, even though loving and caring, had provided him with such a hug, he felt contained, cared for, respected, loved… and something else he needed to tell Sherlock

While Greg was distracted dancing with his daughters, and John was turned into a baby carrier, holding a sleeping Bell, chatting with an astonished Donovan about their world adventures; Mycroft led Sherlock to one of the many rooms they had booked for the night and closed the door behind him, making sure Violet was nowhere near them, distracted with Mamie and other guests

“Are you jealous?” He asked, almost out of breath

“Jealous?” Sherlock looked at his brother as if he just had cursed “Why would I be jealous?”

“Because I hugged John…” Mycroft looked down, avoiding looking at Sherlock

“I was angry at first” Sherlock conceded “But when John hugged me I felt calm and all was forgotten…” He patted Mycroft’s shoulder “I know exactly how you felt…” Sherlock blushed “The first time he hugged me, at his wedding…” Sherlock sighed and rolled his eyes at the memory “I fought with all my might to not hug him back… It was as if I had arrived home, I could remember that Christmas at Vienna clearly, the fire warming the living room, Mummy and Father reading in their chairs, you on the floor near the fire, reading Treasure Island to me, while we both petted Redbeard, the Christmas tree decorations tingling with the fire, and it looked like the angel on top was dancing…” Sherlock had his eyes closed and a soft smile on his face

“I felt exactly the same…” Mycroft took a shaky breath and reached for Sherlock’s hand “Not even Father hugged us that way…” He looked at his brother

“I know…” Sherlock’s eyes turned sad “But you used to hold me like that” He confessed

“I did?” Mycroft’s eyes widened

“Yes… I used to feel safe in your arms, cared for, loved… contained” He reached for his brother and held him close, and Mycroft went back to that cold and snowy January afternoon and was holding the blue bundle in his arms, that new baby smell filling his lungs and the soft skin on his lips as he kissed his brother’s forehead, just below the fringe where the wild mop of curls began  

“I need you to know something” Mycroft said to Sherlock’s forehead

“Mm” He burrowed further in his brother’s arms… who would have thought that Sherlock was such a hug fanatic

“I felt something more…” Mycroft squeezed his brother and let him go, sitting on the bed and patting the space next to him. Sherlock eyed him suspiciously but sat next to his brother and lifted an eyebrow in questioning “This is difficult for me to say, because he’s your husband, and I just got married to the man I love…” Mycroft sighed “Because I love Greg… heart, mind and soul… No one is more perfect for me than he is” The always well-spoken British Government was rambling

“Breathe…” Sherlock breathed too, he feared what his brother might confess

“Sorry…” Mycroft tried to look at his brother “I wanted to kiss John…” he blurted out and Sherlock stood, as if jolted by a thunder light

“YOU WHAT?” He growled

“Kiss John…” Mycroft tried to placate his brother while his mind repeated ‘and have sex with him…’

“Explain” Sherlock demanded with a huff, watching his brother with those detective eyes

“Yesterday…” Mycroft took a deep breath “After you left, John and I started to talk and at some point he sat next to me and hugged me when I needed someone to hold me” Mycroft shivered remembering the feeling “I allowed him, no one had ever hugged me that way, not even Greg…” He admitted bitterly “I felt calm immediately, and then I needed to breathe and accidentally, the first time… I smelled his neck and…”

“And?” Sherlock was pacing the room

“And… I wanted to kiss his neck, feel his pulse, kiss him…” Mycroft was red as a beet ‘fuck him senseless right there…’

“You are trying to tell me you felt aroused with John?” Sherlock couldn’t believe what he was hearing, was his brother confessing his attraction to his husband?

“No…” Mycroft looked away and turned a darker shade of red “Nothing of sorts…” He shook his head vehemently, trying to hide the lie “I wanted to know how it might feel like kissing him, if it was as good as hugging him, but instead of giving to my strange urge I held him close and breathed him in again” Mycroft half lied. Sherlock was seething but tried to be calm before punching his brother right on the face “I was so calm and relaxed after the hug… and that night I slept like I’ve never slept in my entire life, but I dreamt about kissing him…” ‘And other things’ he looked up at the ceiling, trying to forget the weirdest dream he ever had

“Okay…” Sherlock breathed out and tried to breathe in

“And today, he hugged me before the ceremony and all my nerves melted away… I tried to look the other way but I found myself containing every urge to kiss him…” ‘And willing the freaking erection down!’ “And then he hugged me after the ceremony and I just simply couldn’t let go, and I wished he would give me at least a kiss on my forehead, and then you came and he let me go and hugged you and kissed you… then he hugged us both and I was so happy, just to be there… And Bell fell asleep so fast in his arms, and he gave her kisses to her cheeks and forehead… she looked happy… and I was wondering…” Mycroft was looking at the ceiling, the lamp, the window, everywhere but his pacing brother

“You’re trying to tell me that you want John to kiss you?” Sherlock had no idea what to say. Was his brother in love with his husband? Sherlock looked at his brother and Mycroft looked like a child, a little boy, the one that had read to him all those nights and stayed with him that Christmas

“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything” Mycroft blushed even deeper and made an attempt to leave the room but Sherlock stopped him with the lift of a finger

“What would Greg say if he finds out you want to be with another man, on your wedding day?” Sherlock kept his cool, but he could feel his blood boiling in his veins, he had read Mycroft like an open book, it wasn’t just a kiss he wanted, he wanted John…

“It’s ridiculous, I know…” Mycroft looked away, knowing exactly what Sherlock had deduced

“I don’t know what to say to this…” Sherlock felt a strange mixture between disappointment, jealousy, and pride

“I’m sorry…” Mycroft was shivering; his mind was full of images of him and John, his lips all over his body, his hands touching him everywhere

“You want to do something about it” Sherlock was startled by his brother’s confession but he could read him clearly. Mycroft nodded and Sherlock felt a cold shiver run down his spine “Maybe we can do something…” Sherlock sighed, he felt suddenly tired

“What?” Mycroft looked at his brother, eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear

“I’ll talk to John… I’ll explain the situation to him… And he’ll decide what to do…” Sherlock had his eyes closed, his fingers steepled under his chin and wanted the earth to open and swallow him

 “I’m sure it’ll pass soon… Now that Greg is living with me for good, I’m sure I’ll be as happy with him as you are with John, and that soon, he’ll be my home, the same way John is to you. I’ve always craved for Greg’s attentions and never wondered how it would feel to be with anyone else…” Mycroft looked at his brother, still feeling bashful

“God…” Sherlock let out a long and loud sigh “I can’t believe we just had this conversation…” He shook his head, still rattled about the entire subject “Are you going to tell Greg?”

“Is it wise?”

“I don’t know about wise, but John taught me it’s the honest thing to do…” Sherlock rubbed his face and ruffled his hair

“I should tell him… I hope he doesn’t think I tricked him into marrying me while being in love with someone else”

“What?” Sherlock looked at his brother confused “You’re in love with John?” Mycroft blushed slightly and barely managed to shake his head; Sherlock let it slide… “Then why do you think Greg might think that?”

“Because he’s only human…” Mycroft rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands

“Then again he might understand… He was married before, and to a woman, none the less… just like John…” Sherlock felt the knot coming from his stomach to his throat “I understand exactly how you feel…”

“You do?” Mycroft looked at his brother wistfully 

“When I had to leave for those two years, I stole one of John’s jumpers and kept it on a bag… I would smell it every night and would find sleep much easier” Sherlock smiled at the memory “I missed him so much… then he got married and left… And when I was on the plane… I wanted to die, because I knew that I would never be with him… and it killed me every single day…”

“But you had your wish in the end…” Mycroft whispered and Sherlock almost missed it but he was looking at his brother intently

“You want everything?” Sherlock’s voice was pained and strained.

Mycroft nodded “I want to have t least a night with your husband…” Sherlock’s breath hitched

“You have to tell Greg…” Sherlock started pacing again, his mind going a million miles per second

“I know... He might get angry at me if in the middle of sex I call him John…” Sherlock shuddered “I’m sorry…” Mycroft scratched his head “I think that might be a little harder to explain…” He sighed “I feel like I’m bloody fifteen again, when I had that crush on Matthew… I was so nervous when I talked to him…”

“Don’t use the words crush or love while you talk to Greg” Sherlock suggested “I guess I should go back down… John must be wondering where I am” Sherlock patted his brother’s arm one last time and left him to his reverie. He sprinted down the stair and as soon as he spotted John he smiled; there he was; his husband, his man, the one and only for him, his home, and now apparently, his family’s home, because Violet was being hugged closely by John and she was kissing his cheeks… Sherlock felt a pang of pain in his chest

He approached slowly and watched as John extricated himself from Violet’s arms and checked on Bell’s sleeping form in the buggy. Sherlock hugged him from the back and kissed him softly on the cheek, smelling him and burrowing closer, not wanting to let go ever “What is it with you that my entire family wants to hug you and kiss you?” He whispered in John’s ear and made him shiver

“I had no idea I do that” John answered with a breath of voice and rubbed his face on Sherlock’s cheek, catching with the corner of his eye an astonished Sally Donovan that was looking at them, mostly at Sherlock, with wide, disbelieving eyes. He turned in Sherlock’s arms and could see his face, something was troubling him. Instead of asking; John kissed him tenderly, caressing his arms, entwining their fingers and holding him as close as he could “Should we go home?” He asked in between little kisses

“No” Sherlock answered with a sigh “We have a room here… family breakfast tomorrow…” He made his way to John’s neck and took a deep breath, willing the shock away “Bell’s room is next to ours, so we can put her to bed now and come back, dance some more and then go back upstairs and…” He wiggled his eyebrows and tried to smile

“Love the idea “John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s curls and placed a kiss to his forehead “But I think we’re giving a bit of a show now…” He moved his hand down and pulled Sherlock closer by the waist, forcing Sherlock to look up, making him look around where a bunch of yarders were looking at them as if they were seeing a couple of aliens mating

“The secret is out already…” Sherlock looked at John and they locked gazes, no one else was around, the world stopped spinning, everything went silent and Sherlock kissed John the way John loved being kissed by Sherlock, with that melting, mind numbing, knee buckling kiss that left him breathless. John went boneless in Sherlock’s arms and he held him close, one hand supporting his lower back, pressing him against his body, the other one behind his head, allowing him to kiss him deeper and more thoroughly. They could hear people clap and whistle around them, but they couldn’t care less, they only had eyes and ears for each other.

When the last of the guests was gone, and Mycroft had the talk with Greg, and Greg had talked with John, and the couples had to face and sort Mycroft’s weird confession, John decided to act on it, he took Sherlock away and gave him a thorough kiss and held him close “I love you” He whispered against Sherlock’s lips “I love you and only you” He repeated and Sherlock nodded, feeling his heart sink in the deeps of his stomach. John went to Mycroft and held him close, lifting up a little and kissing him right on the lips, it wasn’t a snog, but it was a proper kiss that startled Mycroft and made him blush

“Did you feel anything?” John asked when they parted after a couple of seconds

“Surprise” Mycroft was still dazed

“And how do you feel now?” John looked at Mycroft and then eyed Greg and Sherlock

“Surprised still” Mycroft was recovering his breath

“Anything else?” John was looking at him intently

“Like I just kissed my little brother” Mycroft scowled, making a disgusted face and John chuckled           

“There you go… Mystery solved” John smiled and went to hug his husband as close as he could, basking in his smell and his warmth. Sherlock wrapped his arms around John and looked down at him; John always found ways to amaze him

“There is no way I’m going to kiss you with my brother’s taste still on your mouth” Sherlock made a disgusted face, gagging in the process of letting John know how disgusted he was

“Don’t worry, babe” John sipped at the scotch he had left forgotten on a table nearby, gargling a bit with it and making Sherlock laugh heartily

“It wasn’t that bad!” Mycroft complained and gained a slap on his buttock from Greg

“Next time you want to go and fuck another man let me know before I marry you” Greg glared at him “And there is no way I’m kissing you with John’s taste still on your mouth…” He pushed Mycroft away and walked to the bar to order another scotch, Mycroft followed him, looking slightly guilty and slightly annoyed

“I didn’t kiss him!” Mycroft defended himself following Greg

“You didn’t stop him either” Greg handed him the tumbler

“Please, Gregory…” Mycroft gave him his best -I’m a freaking Holmes and I do as I please- stare, but Greg didn’t fall for it and walked away

“Am I grounded too?” John asked directly to Sherlock’s ear

“Yes…” Sherlock sniffed and looked away in mock annoyance “You’ll sleep on the sofa tonight… and no sex for a week” He tried to hide his smirk

“Too bad…” John sighed in mock despair and let go of Sherlock “And here I was thinking we could end our three weeks drought…” He walked away, removing his tie and opening a few of his shirt buttons before turning to look at Sherlock. Sherlock followed him, he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity, sadly for them, the moment they arrived to their room, they could hear Mycroft begging for forgiveness and Greg forgiving him… several times. Unfortunately they had a family breakfast programmed for the next morning so they couldn’t leave… They stayed up all night talking and laughing, Sherlock confessing to John he felt jealousy and rage, John admitting that kissing Mycroft was a bit extreme but that it made the problem less of a problem


	91. Boston. September 15th to September 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock stood there against the door, confused and hurt… John had never rejected him, not even after he had seen all the scars and had kissed all of them… Sherlock closed his eyes and tried to figure out why the rejection. In Pau, John had kissed every scar, even the ones on his groin and thigs… And always, after their ritual, he would hold Sherlock close and pretend to be asleep… their three week drought was self-imposed… John didn’t want to touch Sherlock… His heart was breaking and all he could do was cover himself again; he pulled a shirt on and his pyjama bottoms and left the room, giving John time to calm himself and leave the bathroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of angst… some issues… sorry about it

The next four days went in a daze, and the drought continued while they were in London… They were able to successfully hide their relationship for a day and a half until a picture of them kissing at Mycroft’s “secret” wedding was revealed to the press. It took Sherlock five minutes to know which yarder was to blame and Mycroft promised to have his balls hanging from a lamp as soon as they returned from their short honeymoon, and the story in the papers was rendered a new sham to destroy the Detective’s reputation.

Simone had visited them every day and Bell had spent several hours hugging her belly and trying to listen to Hamish, she would talk to Hamish for hours both in French and in English, telling him all about the Zoo she had visited that morning, or the park, or Daddy Sherlock reading Harry Potter, or Daddy John reading The Hobbit, she would fall asleep on Simone’s lap, muttering sweet nothings to her little brother. Simone promised to keep them posted about the baby’s development and to call them every week to let them know how things were going.

Since Mycroft and Greg were at the flat in New York for the next week; Sherlock decided to go to Boston first. In order to prevent the little lady having trouble adapting to the new time zone; Sherlock decided to leave by noon, that way, they’ll have more hours to be awake, and tire the little girl before putting her to bed. The seven hours flight was uneventful, they found ways to keep Bell distracted; they let her have a longer nap in the afternoon, guaranteeing that way that she would not fall asleep before seven that night.

By the time they arrived, it was seven at night for them already, but it was barely two at Boston… They had gained an afternoon and Sherlock was glad because he wanted to give John a tour of one of the cities he had liked most during his stay in the United States

“Boston is quite beautiful during autumn” Sherlock started talking as soon as they climbed in the back of the black sedan Mycroft had provided for them “I arrived to New York a few weeks after my “death” anniversary. The first thing I had to do was follow the American to Brooklyn; he was leading a drug trafficking operation that distributed hard drugs to most major cities, but mostly New York, Boston, Washington, Las Vegas, Huston, Miami and LA, and from either Miami or LA to the rest of America” He grabbed John’s hand and lifted it to his lips “I didn’t do drugs” He said “Even though I was dying for a hit I didn’t do it” John smiled at him and gave him a kiss, encouraging him to talk more

“I’d been in New York for two weeks following the lead, before going to Mexico, after Mexico I had to follow him to Peru and then Bolivia… I ended up in Buenos Aires without knowing how and the next day I was in Colombia before returning to Miami” Sherlock kept looking out the window; John’s hand grounding him “By the time I had finished with the operation in Miami; he was already in Washington… I ended up in Boston by the end of October and I was in New York again by mid-November… That’s when Irene found me in that basement, I’d been back in New York for a week; he found me and threatened to kill me the next time he saw me… He broke my ribs, sprained my ankle and I was unable to move for a couple of days, he left me to die in that cold basement, that’s when I caught the worst case of pneumonia ever”

“You ended up in hospital” John had his eyes closed

“Yes… Rick helped me after Irene called him… she gave an anonymous tip and they found me. Rick was part of the team that helped me here; he was stationed in Las Vegas by the time I returned to New York, and when he couldn’t find me he called Erika, she was in Miami at the time, they both came back and stayed with me until Jacques came to take me back to Europe”

“And for how long…?” John avoided doing the math…

“I don’t recall, maybe two days, maybe a week… I do recall Irene talking to me and telling me she had those smuggler friends and offered to help me with the stolen antiquities, and I recall going with her to some shops and visiting said men… I still have to find that blue diamond…” Sherlock shook his head

“What exactly happen here in Boston?” John needed to organise his mind better

“After I arrived to New York I had to go to Mexico immediately, and then I continued down to Central and South America, returning to Miami by the end of summer, from Miami I went to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Huston, Washington and finally, Boston” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand and watched as they approached Back Bay “I remember the city in tones of grey and ochre, leaves on the pavement and leafless trees… I felt peaceful for the first time in a long time and I went to look for a barber shop; I needed a haircut, a bath, some food and I found a Motel near Fenway. It was clean, cheap and discrete and it became my centre of operations”

“Who else was with you?”

“No one; as I told you before, Rick was in Las Vegas and Erika in Miami. Mycroft said I needed to keep a low profile because I was making the news again with the operations I had already ended. The operation in Russia was quite public, and of course, I couldn’t take the credit for those operations”

“So you stayed alone for two weeks in Boston?”

“I had to. The man I was following had dealers all over town, one at Fenway Park and a few others located at Berkeley and Park Lane; and of course at some colleges, like Boston and MIT”

“That’s why you stayed near Fenway?”

“Yes and no. It was easy to go to Fenway and visit the dealer and he gave me a few other names; I got him arrested before I left, along with the other dealers; but it was more a matter of location. I could have passed as an exchange student at any of the universities but finding a room or anything for less than two weeks and in such a short time was difficult”

“Couldn’t Mycroft help?”

“He did help and swept the motel, he hired the venue for a convention of sorts so I had the chance to move around everywhere without being questioned or detained. I was able to use a computer, go to the library without being noticed, and for a change, I had an actually comfortable place to stay and work”

“Why didn’t you try to contact me?”

“I read your blog and found that entrance where you said you’ll be writing some old cases and congratulated you on them; but by the time I was about to tell you how much I missed you, you had already said that you wouldn’t be writing on your blog anymore… I was going to leave you a message telling you I’ll be back soon… but…” Sherlock looked down

“I’m sorry” John looked away

“What for?” Sherlock looked back to John and caressed his cheek, having him looking to his eyes

“Stop believing you’d come back?” John felt ashamed and couldn’t look into Sherlock’s eyes

“You had to, at some point… I...” Sherlock sighed

“You?” John leaned closer and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder

“I wasn’t sure I’ll be back… I realised how foolish it was of me to make a promise I might not be able to fulfil, and in a way I was relieved I didn’t sent you a message or promised you that I’ll be back” Sherlock could feel his heart break slowly, he had broken John…

“I should have waited for you…” John’s voice was broken and sad

“No…” Sherlock made him look up “You should have done exactly what you did…” Sherlock brushed a tear away with his thumb “That’s the way our story goes…” He leaned closer “Because if you hadn’t, we might not be here today” He closed the gap and kissed John softly on the lips

“You really think that?” John took a deep breath and let it out, looking again for Sherlock’s soft and tender lips

“I do” Sherlock pulled away a fraction to look into John’s eyes “I think that if I were to return to you, as broken as I was, even though you might have stayed, more out of a sense of duty than of love in the end… it would have broken us, it would have taken us apart… If it weren’t for her, you might have not been there for me after… And I couldn’t live with that… She paved the way of your forgiveness… If I had come back to you, you might have had no time to… process… every feeling you were having, and we would still have that elephant in the room… we might not be together…” Sherlock let out a breath he had no idea he’d been holding “And most of all, she…” He pointed at Bell “She wouldn’t be here…” He smiled lovingly at the distracted girl

“We had to get lost many times before we finally found our way to each other…” John smiled softly

“Yes… And during my time away, I realised that I’m nothing if I’m without you”

“I guess I might as well face it now…” John smirked “I’m stuck with you ‘till the day I die” He chuckled

“So it seems… yeah” Sherlock shook his head and tried to school his face to appear uninterested and cold but the smirk was clear in his eyes

“How did you find the man in Fenway?” John asked against Sherlock’s lips

Sherlock backed away and held John close “I was looking out the window, because the man I’ve been following was staying at one of the houses near the motel I was, and I saw a young man leave the house with a back pack he didn’t have before.. I decided to follow him and he had a few boys, not over fifteen most of them, waiting at the park... He handed each a small package, I can only assume it was either coke or meth and they went their way… He stayed at Fenway’s and by the end of the afternoon his stash was gone. I followed him for the next three days, contacting the youngster he was working with and said some codenames to him and he handed me the drugs… When I told him how much I wanted he said he’ll introduce me to his boss… the man I was looking for”

“And did he?”

“No, he couldn’t, my lead was already in New York the day of our meeting, but this man gave me all the information I needed and was captured that afternoon, along with other “blokes and chaps” that had been helping him distribute”

“But why did you follow him?”

“Because it’s easier to be a drug addict than a drug dealer, you’ll do anything for a hit… even kill… Antonio’s face made its appearance in Sherlock’s memory “And because finishing with small fish is easier than getting the big one… You have to use the small fish to lure the shark” Sherlock explained “But this guy, the American; he was in too deep… Both the CIA and the FBI were glad to find him; although I must say the way they found him wasn’t exactly how they expected to…”

“Did you…?” John hesitated

“No, I didn’t” Sherlock closed his eyes “It was one of the teenagers in Brooklyn… I had already found the man that was smuggling antiquities from China and Russia and had him arrested and deported to Russia… He’s in Siberia now… But the American… A teenager killed him… this boy… he needed a fix and stabbed him repeatedly... I couldn’t do anything because the boy was out of his mind, no one could approach until the police shot him” Sherlock shivered, he was so fixed on the next hit sometimes that he could have killed anyone for one last hit

“You’re not that teenager Sherlock” John’s voice took him out of his wildest memory, the night he ODed after sleeping with Andrew for the hit he needed, he remembered every single detail of the night

“I almost became that teenager…” Sherlock let out a breath “The last time I saw Andrew, when I met Greg…” Sherlock was shivering again and John had him lay on his lap, carding his fingers on his curls “I was so desperate for another fix… I had already shot twice in less than twenty four hours, the drug no longer had the effect I needed and I went to look for him… I had a knife and I was willing to do whatever… but instead of shoving me off, he kissed me and we…” Sherlock felt nauseated “He gave me the hit after we… and the next thing I know is that I was being wheeled to an ambulance and a frantic Sergeant Lestrade was giving orders left and right to find out ‘who this bloke is’ Andrew was nowhere to be found”

“We’ve all done stupid things in our youth… I wasn’t always Captain Watson…” John made Sherlock look at him “I was a young soldier, two weeks in the army, fresh out from Bart’s… I was drunk, I had a gun… and I almost fuck off my entire military career for firing an issue gun to another fellow soldier while under the influence… In the end, James helped me and he said that it was an accident… that’s actually how James and I first met…”

“We were reckless…” Sherlock sighed

“We’re worst now…” John chuckled and bit his lip

“I know…” Sherlock smiled. It was easier to feel happy, calmed, relaxed, since he was with John… he didn’t have this need to hide away or run, and any conflict was solved easily… well… almost… “We’ve arrived” He stated the moment the car pulled by a nice old town house at Back Bay

“It’s beautiful!” John gaped and climbed out of the car, following Sherlock, before picking Bell up

“I knew you’d like it… It has a Baker Street air to it” He smiled at his husband “Shall we?” John nodded and followed Sherlock in, the house was beautiful on the inside too; it was large enough for the three of them, and it would be their house for the next five days

“I like Boston” John said after leaving the house to go to the first Museum they had decided to visit “I was here for a couple of weeks” He said as if he was commenting on the weather

“You did?” Sherlock eyed him

“Yup… I’ve been in New York, Washington, Las Vegas and Boston…” John smirked

“How long?” Sherlock couldn’t believe it

“For a couple of months; I had a medical seminar and it was here in Boston, then I decided to enjoy my vacations and stayed, drove to New York and then to Washington, and because I decided to follow a pretty lady I ended up in Vegas… Thankfully, she met another bloke on the way and ended up marrying him instead of me”

“You never cease to surprise me…” Sherlock hugged John close and kissed him the way John likes

“Where are we going first?” John asked once he could breathe again

“We’re going to the aquarium” Sherlock answered and strapped Bell, allowing her to walk in front of them

“How come the aquarium first?” John asked, a bit sluggishly

“Because I’m exhausted” He stifled a yawn “And so are you, we’ve been up for almost twelve hours now” John quirked a brow and looked at him “Don’t give me that look… ever since we got together I sleep” Sherlock sniffed and looked away

“Love…” John pulled his hand up and kissed it “I’m joking…” He looked up at Sherlock “I know you sleep now… Less than six hours but you sleep…” He smiled at his tired husband “Let’s get to the aquarium and go back… I’m tired…” He yawned and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying to stop Bell from sleeping by distracting her with coloured fish, octopuses and having her pet a ray and a shark. John was horrified, he had an irrational fear of sharks, and even though he enjoyed the ocean, he couldn’t bare being next to a shark. As soon as they arrived they “rested” their eyes for a moment, only to find themselves fully clothed in bed, with a sleeping Bell between them.

The next morning they left the house and went directly to the Children’s museum, Bell played the entire day, experimenting, building, painting; they left her there with Amanda and they went to the Harvard museum, making plans for the next couple of days. Things got frisky by the time they picked Bell from the museum, Sherlock had been teasing John the entire day, kissing him in every corner of the museum, pinching him, grazing his thighs when they were sitting together, nipping at his ear or lips, whenever they kissed, and actually making obscene gestures with his mouth whenever John was looking at him.

“You’ve been teasing me the entire day” John growled, towering over Sherlock and removing his shirt with hurried moves “I haven’t even been able to wank properly for the past three weeks, and you teasing me like that…” He bit Sherlock’s neck and left a mark

“Yes!” Sherlock hissed “Leave a big and purple love bite, I want everyone to know I belong to you” He tipped his head to the side and gave John more skin, which John sucked and bit happily and with abandon, building the need, but all the want left him the moment he removed Sherlock’s shirt and could feel the fresh scars, he walked away from Sherlock, absolutely horrified, panting and pushing his husband away

“I can’t” John panted “I’m sorry” He left the room and hid in the bathroom, controlling his breathing, his arousal long gone and his erection completely deflated

Sherlock stood there against the door, confused and hurt… John had never rejected him, not even after he had seen all the scars and had kissed all of them… Sherlock closed his eyes and tried to figure out why the rejection. In Pau, John had kissed every scar, even the ones on his groin and thigs… And always, after their ritual, he would hold Sherlock close and pretend to be asleep… their three week drought was self-imposed… John didn’t want to touch Sherlock… His heart was breaking and all he could do was cover himself again; he pulled a shirt on and his pyjama bottoms and left the room, giving John time to calm himself and leave the bathroom

Sherlock heard the movement and allowed John to do what he needed; he waited outside the door until everything went quiet and returned to the bedroom, John pretended to sleep again. Sherlock settled in bed and gave him a quick kiss on the shoulder before turning his back to him, pretending to sleep too. The next morning he left the bed before John woke up and went for a walk; he returned before Bell woke up and pretended to make breakfast for his family, avoiding John at all cost

In order to keep his hands away from John, not tease him and end up frustrated again; Sherlock took them to the museum of Science, Bell was excited about everything, but what made her the happiest was the Butterfly Garden; Sherlock played with her, and used a bit of sugary water to attract the butterflies to them, enjoying the astonished face Bell had whenever a colourful butterfly approached her Daddy’s chest, fingers, and even hair. John was happy to see his family enjoy an entire day with no other worry than deciding what to eat, but he knew Sherlock and could see the ghost of rejection settled in his eyes and his every gesture, he had barely touched John the entire day, and John knew he deserved it. That night, Sherlock left John in bed after he felt John’s even breathing and walked around the city until sunrise. He again pretended to be making breakfast but John knew better, he was up half the night waiting for Sherlock to come back; not knowing where to look for him, and hating the fact that the genius had left his phone on the nightstand.

The moment John heard Sherlock come back he held his breath and pretended to be asleep, but Sherlock never returned to the bedroom, he stayed on the sofa and when John walked to the kitchen he found him preparing Bell’s breakfast. The moment he approached him, Sherlock moved away swiftly, excusing himself and going to Bell’s room to get the baby; they danced around each other the entire day, and again, that night, Sherlock pretended to fall asleep on the sofa, and stayed the night away. He wouldn’t ask John what was happening, John needed to come to terms with his own feelings, and Sherlock couldn’t force him to do so  

Their last day in Boston, after the revolutionary experience of the Boston Tea Party Museum, which Sherlock visited because, let’s face it, he loves boats, John loves tea, and Bell loves biscuits… they left the city for their next destination… Washington


	92. Washington. September 20th to September 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He removed his wedding band and placed it on the bed and sat there waiting for his husband to come back. The moment Sherlock entered the room, John’s heart flipped in his chest and dropped to his stomach; Sherlock had been crying, and for the second time in less than a second, his heart broke. Sherlock looked at John, the bags and the ring in the middle of the bed and went pale… He called Amanda and handed the girl to her and asked her to take her to a playground, keep her distracted for the rest of the afternoon. Amanda obeyed and controlled the urge to call Mycroft

“I thought we were going to New York next” John looked at Sherlock and handed him Bell’s bag, trying to graze his fingers

“Mycroft asked to stay a couple more days…” Sherlock flinched and looked away

“I knew eight days wouldn’t be enough…” John smirked trying to joke and Sherlock scowled

“We have to extend our stay in Washington to the end of the month” Sherlock rolled his eyes and scowled again

“Well…” John sighed at his upset husband, trying to pat his shoulder, but Sherlock took a step back and grabbed another bag. John closed his eyes and tried to continue the conversation as if nothing had happened “We’ll have more time to go through the Smithsonian… I didn’t have much time to explore it when I was here” He grinned at Sherlock and Sherlock melted, he couldn’t say anything to that smile

“That we do…” Sherlock whispered and leaned close to John to kiss him… He loved kissing John… but backed away at the last moment and looked away

“Where are we staying?” John let out a sad sigh and decided to change the subject

“At the Kimpton Monaco…” Sherlock took a deep breath “We have two rooms booked there...” He said picking more bags “I didn’t want us cooking or cleaning this week… We’ve had enough of that for the past month” He occupied his hands and allowed a strapped Bell to go out of the plane first, following his daughter

The hotel was as impressive as the hotels they had stayed along their trip; less regal but no less beautiful. Amanda made her way to her room and left the family to accommodate. The hotel had prepared the room exactly as Sherlock had asked and the man in the front desk had gone all the way to please such honoured guests; he was a fan of John’s blog and had followed their career for a long time now. He promised discretion in exchange of a picture with Hat-man and Robin, and Sherlock promised to let him keep his knee-caps in exchange of discretion, the man tried to smile at them, but assured them that they’ll be left alone

To avoid staying in the room for too long, Sherlock took John to the motel he had to stay while he followed the American “I only stayed here for four days…” He pointed at the building “The man moved quickly and I had to be on my toes for days. I somehow managed to find places to stay near him; but I lost track of him while in Miami. The day I arrived to Washington, he had already distributed all the drugs and had nothing on him; that’s why I couldn’t capture him; I had to find the factory…”

“How did you arrive to Washington?” John tried to hold Sherlock’s hand but he had shoved them in his trousers’ pockets

“Rick and Erika had a biplane waiting for me at every location; that actually made my time here easier, because I didn’t have to rely on finding cars or other means of transportation, shortening my travel time, making it easier, and I used the same mean of transportation between countries in South America” Sherlock sat on a bench at the park near the motel  

“They didn’t help you?” John sat next to him, but Sherlock scooted away and John moved to the end of the bench

“They couldn’t. Erika was in Miami; she works with the CIA and she was in charge of checking customs’ offices there, checking every freight; she had to make sure of the destinations so I could know from where they were coming and to where they were sending the goods” Sherlock explained “And Rick was in Las Vegas, doing the same. He works for the FBI and he was in charge of checking the freights that left from Nevada; he would know what they received from Los Angeles or Miami and to where it was distributed” Sherlock rubbed his face, his work in America was rough and he had to do it alone

“You were alone most of the time…” John said sadly

“I was used to that by then… Even though I had a team to help me, I felt alone all the time…” Sherlock avoided looking at John and continued talking “It wasn’t difficult, I had a bed, a shower and food every day, I didn’t have to sleep on the street, and I had a drivers’ licence that allowed me to move everywhere” He saw John scoot closer and stood up “The Zoo’s this way” He picked Bell from the floor and carried her, walking away from John

Once at the Zoo, John tried to stay close to Sherlock, but Sherlock managed to stay away from John more successfully than desired. When Bell ran to see the tigers, John grabbed Sherlock’s hand in his and lifted to his lips; Sherlock tried to move his hand away but John squeezed it

“I’m sorry” He said to the floor, unable to look Sherlock in the eyes “I feel guilty…” He confessed and Sherlock reached for him, holding him close and kissing his temple “It’s my fault you have all those scars in your body. I had come to accept those scars, and love them because those were the physical evidence of your love for me; but the scars that Mary left on your body…” John couldn’t breathe, every time he ran his hand on Sherlock’s back he felt nauseated, guilty, he had brought that woman to their lives…

“If I don’t blame you, why are you blaming yourself?” Sherlock pushed John away softly and put some distance between them by following Bell to the next encasement

“Sherlock…” John whispered and followed his family, they spent their first afternoon in Washington at the Zoo and John had time to think about his actions and the way he felt, he needed to find a way to assure Sherlock that he loved him, that he desired him, that all he could think about was making sweet love to his husband, that with every passing day he wanted and needed him more, but that at the same time, all the guilt and pain he felt prevented him from acting the way he wanted.

That night, Sherlock decided he would read to Bell, and pretended to fall asleep in their daughter’s room, leaving John alone; he couldn’t bare the distance between them; being there but being so far away. John let him, they both needed time, even if it was excruciating

The next five days they explored the Smithsonian museums; as always, eager to please his husband, Sherlock took John to both Air and Space Museums. John wanted to kiss him and hold him, but Sherlock was so distant and cold, that John had to content himself with watching him smile to their daughter, laugh with her, hold and kiss her, nuzzle her neck or her stomach, talk to her and tell her stories, and even, sleep in the same bed with her. They hadn’t even shared a bath since they arrived to Boston, and Sherlock would always be dressed by the time John joined him

For their sixth day in Washington, Sherlock had booked a visit to the White House, the Capitol and Madame Tussauds’, all places where they would be forced to keep a distance from one another, controlling Bell and walking with large groups of people. That night, John found the tickets Sherlock had bought for the Spy museum, they were issued for the next day after their arrival; and John felt utterly guilty… Sherlock had gone far and beyond again to please him…

John found the page and booked a special adventure for them; he called Amanda and asked her to pick Bell after breakfast and take her to the park and stay with her until they came back. To John’s dismay, the next morning, Sherlock had left early, breakfast served and a note saying he had taken Bell to the park for the day, and as usual lately, his phone on the nightstand. John called the museum and they agreed to change his tickets for the next day, he would have to convince Sherlock tonight to go with him, but he was worried, it had been the longest days since Vilnius and Tallinn; and John couldn’t stand the look on Sherlock; that defeated and lost look he got whenever they had a fight

John sat on the bed, breakfast forgotten, and waited, he didn’t want to leave, just in case Sherlock returned, but he started thinking that maybe, just maybe, leaving for good might be a great plan, returning to London, pack all his things, and follow Mycroft’s plan, after all, Sherlock’s freedom was one call away… He decided to pack his things and wait for Sherlock, talk to him, explain to him, and leave, for once, the choice of continuing their marriage to Sherlock

He removed his wedding band and placed it on the bed and sat there waiting for his husband to come back. The moment Sherlock entered the room, John’s heart flipped in his chest and dropped to his stomach; Sherlock had been crying, and for the second time in less than a second, his heart broke. Sherlock looked at John, the bags and the ring in the middle of the bed and went pale… He called Amanda and handed the girl to her and asked her to take her to a playground, keep her distracted for the rest of the afternoon. Amanda obeyed and controlled the urge to call Mycroft

Sherlock could feel the blood in his veins getting cold, his heart beating fast and his stomach feeling empty

“So…” Sherlock picked John’s band from the bed and played with it

“It’s your choice” John said looking at the floor and playing with the hem of his shirt

“My choice?” Sherlock snorted and placed the band on the nightstand

“Yes… I can’t force you to stay in a marriage with a man you don’t want anymore” John said, his voice trembling

“I am the one who doesn’t want you?” Sherlock snorted again, using his best -you’re a moron- tone of voice “Am I the one withholding sex because I can’t deal with a reality that happened to my partner?” His voice was cold and void of feelings, he was talking to a suspect or a victim, not to John; there was no sympathy in his voice

John was taken aback, he had tried with all he had to talk to Sherlock, but Sherlock avoided him, whenever he wanted to touch him, Sherlock would scurry away, fumble with something in his hands, pick Bell up or walk away; he stopped sleeping with Bell and started sleeping in the living room, and John knew he would leave every night and arrive early the next morning “I’ve tried to talk to you for the last week, and you won’t let me…” John said in a whisper, his voice trapped in the knot on his throat

“I’m tired, John…” Sherlock closed his eyes and removed his own band, placing it next to John’s “There is nothing left for me to do, but let you do as you wish… I’m not stopping you… If you want to leave, you should do it, but don’t blame on me the end of our relationship… I’m tired of going after you whenever we have a fight, I’m tired of having to apologise for being me; I’m tired of begging you to love me…” Sherlock broke, finally, and tears started falling from his eyes “I’ve done all I could to be what you need and want, I don’t know what else to do… Should I leave?” He asked and John looked up “Should I die?” John stood from the bed and started pacing “You seemed to be quite happy while I was gone… perhaps my biggest mistake was coming back…” Sherlock steepled his fingers under his chin, eyes closed and tried to hide in his Mind Palace

“I WAS THE MOST MISERABLE OF HUMAN BEINGS WHEN YOU WERE GONE!” John shouted “I LOVE YOU, DAMNIT! I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU! I NEED YOU!” He was shouting to the top of his lungs, he took a deep breath and looked at Sherlock “DON’T’ YOU DARE GO IN YOUR MIND PALACE!” He shook Sherlock forcibly and startled him, he moved away when he realised what he had done and looked at Sherlock, trying to calm his breathing and his heart, Sherlock looked at him, his eyes reflected his own confusion and sadness, John took another deep breath “I need you, Sherlock” He managed to sob and fell to his knees “I need you, like air…” Sherlock ran to him and kneeled beside him, holding him close

“John…” Sherlock whispered in his ear and John held him close, they both cried for what seemed like hours, until John composed himself and stood, he helped Sherlock up and they both sat on the bed

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like I don’t want you or need you” John pulled Sherlock close and had him sit on his lap “I need you, all the time, I want you, all the time, and I’m sorry for what happened in Boston…” John apologised and burrowed his face on Sherlock’s neck

“Why didn’t you tell me how you were feeling?” Sherlock asked John’s shoulder “I thought we were partners; that we could talk about anything and everything”

“We ARE partners” John kissed Sherlock’s neck “And I didn’t tell you because I was afraid to hurt you” He moved his lips up and kissed Sherlock’s cheek “But I hurt you anyway…” He hid his face in Sherlock’s neck again “I’m sorry love”

“John…” Sherlock whispered and John looked up “Touch me, please?” He looked at John and John nodded, pushing Sherlock to the bed and opening his shirt, the first scar he saw was the one Blanicoff had put there and he kissed it, slowly, tenderly, another couple of buttons and Mary’s bullet was there, reminding him of how fleeting their time could be and he kissed it reverently, because it was the scar that had brought them together

“Turn around” He asked and allowed Sherlock to move; he closed his eyes and let his fingers trace every scar, slowly and softly, feeling how Sherlock’s breath hitched, how his skin bristled under his touch, his heart rate changed from steady and low to rapid and erratic. He opened his eyes and saw the pink scars and traced them again, both with his eyes and fingers, remembering the stories behind them, those four years apart from each other, the pain, the anger, the sorrow, and in the end the satisfaction of killing that wretched woman, he traced the scars with his lips and then with his tongue, tasting each, slowly, making each scar his own, feeling his shoulder burn with every single scar he tasted and kissed. Sherlock was shivering under him, letting small sobs, mixed with moans and sighs every time John kissed or licked a scar, he too was remembering every single one of them, and the burning sensation the scars left when they were made.

“Turn…” John husked and Sherlock complied. John removed Sherlock’s shoes and socks, kissing each toe, then removed trousers and pants in the best “Three Continents Watson” way. John retraced the chest scars, two bullet wounds, a stab wound on his lower stomach to his left, and the new ones, two shallow cuts on each inner thigh, long scars that he kissed reverently, tasting them, owning them and transforming them in something beautiful, in the proof that they would die for each other, he smelled Sherlock and enjoyed that singular aroma of cinnamon and a hint of peppermint from Sherlock’s soap, he kissed, licked and bit the scars on Sherlock’s groin, those were his scars now, and he was the only one to taste them, see them, have them

Kneeling between Sherlock’s legs, he licked along Sherlock shaft, one lick enough to have Sherlock standing in attention. He twirled his tongue around the tip and felt Sherlock tense and relax at the same time, his legs trembling, his hands grabbing the sheets, and his breathing ragged. Another lick and Sherlock moaned John’s name and every single hair in John’s body stood, while he licked and sucked his husband as slowly as possible, he undressed himself, crawling up the bed and resting his entire body on top of Sherlock’s. He kissed Sherlock’s neck, leaving the mark his husband wanted and needed, moving slowly, their groins sliding together in their own rhythm

He grabbed Sherlock’s hand, entwining their fingers, and moved it to Sherlock’s hair, kissing him deeply and slowly, barely moving his body against Sherlock’s, his other hand fished under the pillow, but their little bottle wasn’t there. He grumbled lowly and went to his bag, looking for their bottle, it took him what seemed like an eternity but were less than thirty seconds, he opened the bottle and covered his fingers as he walked back to the bed; he kneeled between Sherlock’s legs again and started working him slowly open, between kisses and caresses.

Sherlock moaned and sighed; he let a few sobs escape his mouth and tried to contain the tears; but John was kissing him with the tenderness he had missed for the past weeks, he let himself go under John’s touch, allowing himself to feel every single one of his caresses, kisses and licks, enjoy them as if it were the first time. He felt John’s finger enter him and his heart skipped a beat, the slow teasing building his need more and more; a second finger followed after what seemed like hours and his breath hitched, a moan escaped his mouth, followed by John’s name, and his hips started moving on their own accord. A third finger made its appearance and Sherlock let out a long and low groan, his heart flipping in his chest, his stomach filled with butterflies and anticipation.

John lined up with him and entered him slowly, his eyes fixed on Sherlock’s holding his breath and feeling everything, the pliant muscles trying to clench around the intrusion and giving him entrance to that sacred haven that Sherlock’s body was for him. He didn’t move for a long moment, letting Sherlock get used to the feeling, and resting his entire body on top of Sherlock’s feeling Sherlock’s erection between their stomachs; he moved a hand to Sherlock’s hair, the other to Sherlock’s cock, but Sherlock bated it away “Just you” he murmured and John kissed him, slowly at first, tongues travelling back and forth until Sherlock kissed him with that breath-taking kiss, that left him limp, his mind gone and in total peace.

He thrusted once and Sherlock’s body arched on the bed, he thrusted twice and Sherlock’s hand travelled from his back to his arse and held it firmly, he thrusted thrice and Sherlock’s leg was on his waist. They found their rhythm, slowly at first; kissing every patch of skin they could reach, building up their orgasms slowly, worshiping each other’s bodies with kisses and caresses, worshiping each other with words of love

“I love you” Sherlock whispered with his orgasm

“I love you” John answered following Sherlock    

They had no idea how much time had passed, but John stayed in Sherlock for as long as he could, and Sherlock held him close the entire time; He started moving again when he felt his erection growing with arousal again, and this time they moved as one, slowly again, there was no need for rush, they had the time of the world; but they had the urgency to come time and time again, John thrusted harder, deeper, faster and Sherlock cried his name over and over again until his throat was sore, his muscles asked for a break and his mind was blank, filled with nothing but bliss and the feeling of John’s body on top of his

John could feel every muscle in his body get flimsy and unresponsive, his orgasm filling him with nothing but bliss and peace, his mind off and his mouth gasping for air, lungs burning, he looked desperately for Sherlock’s lips and hands, lips against lips, hands on hands, fingers entwined, until they came down from heaven

“I love you” Sherlock whispered against John’s lips

“I love you” John answered and kissed him all over again

A knock on the door startled them and forced John to part from Sherlock, he grabbed Sherlock’s shirt and went to the door; it was Amanda with a very upset Bell, the little girl was crying and as soon as she saw her father she clung to his leg

“She fell on the park and scraped her knee” Amanda explained, looking both guilty and flustered, she entered slightly to the bedroom and could see Sherlock still on the bed, and they both looked debauched; she had never seen them like that “I’m sorry for interrupting but she kept asking for you” she moved away from the door, her heart clenching on her chest “Excuse me” She left the girl with her parents and hurried away to her own room

“Love?” Sherlock walked to John and hugged him from the back “Is she okay?” He looked at Bell and let go of John to kneel next to his daughter, he was wearing John’s shirt and pants. He picked his daughter up and gave her a kiss on the cheek and the girl clung to his neck, explaining that she had fell and scraped her knee, showing him the little injury

“Let’s clean it up, okay beautiful?” John asked and Bell nodded, he went to their room and looked for his kit, pulling out some disinfectant and a princess sticking-plaster that Bell had picked from the chemist’s; Sherlock took her to the bathroom and undressed her, preparing her bath; when John arrived the tub was ready and they both bathed Bell, playing with her until the little girl forgot all about her knee, they dried her, John cleaned the small wound and placed the plaster, followed by a kiss.

“Want to have dinner, little love?” Sherlock asked and Bell nodded “Italian?” The girl smiled and kept on playing with her plush tiger “Quick shower?” He looked at John and John winked at him, following him to the bathroom. They showered quickly and Sherlock took his family to an Italian he had an eye on since they arrived.

Once back to their hotel, John asked Sherlock about the spy museum and Sherlock beamed at him; it was the perfect way to finish their trip, visiting the Spy museum, playing both games, the Operation Spy and the Spy in the City. The last day they spent entirely with Bell, going to the Newseum and the National Mall, walking under the cherry trees until late afternoon


	93. Las Vegas. September 30th to October 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m sorry for leaving you all those years… I was so afraid at first, and when you asked at Angelo’s, well…” He bit his lower lip but kept his eyes on John “I panicked… I knew, somehow, that I would do everything for you, you needn’t even ask, and I would do everything to see you smile…” Sherlock admitted “I was so afraid… I feared that I might lose myself for you; that you would hate me, reject me… I didn’t know for how long would you stay, and I felt the urge to impress you, so you would stay, and at the same time the urge to run away, spare my poor soul and my silly heart of the ache of losing you…” Sherlock kept biting his lower lip to stop it from trembling “but you’re ingrained in my life, John Watson… without you I’m nothing… you make me… I need you to be… I needed you from the beginning, without you I’m just an ill-tempered, bad mannered, sociopathic drug addict with a narcissistic personality and a superiority complex that belongs either on a padded cell, jail or a grave…” Sherlock looked down

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Sherlock but screamed at the phone, Mycroft wanted to stay another week! “What am I supposed to do? You’ve already changed all my plans!” He tried to keep his voice calm but was seething

“It’s just another week!” Mycroft lost his temper “It’s the first time since I can remember that I have a proper vacation”

“Fine…” Sherlock sighed “Let me know when you’re tired of your vacation and I’ll go to New York so you can have the plane” He relented. He couldn’t remember his brother having a vacation ever… the last one being Vienna

“Thanks, Lockie… Really” Mycroft said as a goodbye and Sherlock huffed, scowling at the phone and rubbing his face with his free hand

“They’re staying another week?” John chuckled

“Indefinitely” Sherlock grumbled and John smiled at him

“I guess Las Vegas is our next destination then” John patted Sherlock’s buttock and pulled him to bed with him

“Yes…” Sherlock grumbled again “I have to tell the pilot that we’ll be going to Las Vegas…” He scowled

“We are going to have fun, love” John kissed him “In the meantime” He licked his lips and Sherlock bit his lower lip “It’s your turn to fuck me senseless” John smirked and pulled Sherlock on top of him. True to the request, Sherlock turned off John’s every sense, thrice that night, leaving him an inarticulate, blissed out, lump of flimsy limbs that had several marks on his neck to show off.

After a four and a half hours flight to Las Vegas, Sherlock was looking forward to arrive to one of the many cities John had visited. During their time in Boston and Washington they had visited all the places John wanted to be, and now it was a chance for them to explore the city better than they had done previously. John had stayed at one of the many hotels and casinos and Sherlock had stayed at one of the many motels, their days there were spent partying, in John’s case, and chasing drug dealers, in Sherlock’s case.

They shared their stories during the flight. Sherlock’s story was the same, watching the American from the motel, finding dealers, planning stake outs and leaving Las Vegas without really having been there; John told Sherlock that he had followed this woman from Washington and that he had ended in Las Vegas without really knowing how; that he was grateful to the poor sod that got married to what’s-her-face and saved him from a terrible faith

“Where would we be staying?” John asked climbing in the black sedan

“The Alexis Park” Sherlock pulled John close and started kissing his neck

“Eager to arrive?” John husked

“You have no idea how much” Sherlock said with a low and lusty voice

“So…” John swallowed “this place?”

“We’ll be arriving in about fifteen minutes and we have a suite with two rooms, we’ll give Bell the bedroom downstairs and we’ll stay in the larger bedroom upstairs” John tried to stiff a moan and Sherlock pulled him to his lap, rocking slowly

“Sherlock…” John breathed and was about to lower his hand to his husband’s groin when he heard Bell giggle “We have to wait just a few more minutes” He stopped the kiss and rested his forehead on Sherlock’s

“I know…” Sherlock took a deep breath

“Do we have anything planned for Bell?” He asked, trying to will his erection down

“We have Madame Tussauds’s but she got bored at Washington; maybe we could go to the aquarium and Adventuredome, and that’s pretty much it, particularly because of her age; I was thinking that we could find another hotel with more amenities for children, but they all are in the strip, and I really don’t feel like gambling or drinking” Sherlock was doing the same as John

“There are no kid friendly locations?”

“Yes, there are plenty; but her age and her active mind keep us occupied; I was thinking we could go riding, she loves horses and would be distracted for endless hours; there’s also the water park, but last time she didn’t have much fun… She really doesn’t like kids…” Sherlock sighed, his daughter was more of a Holmes than he ever thought possible “We also could stay at the hotel, play in the pool, rest for a while, and simply enjoy staying somewhere nice without running to a museum”

“Won’t you get bored?” John asked, a bit worried, two stropping toddlers in one hotel room…

“I have all the cases Greg sent, and I also have the cases from Spain and others from New York; including the one with the blue diamond” Sherlock closed his eyes and breathed, controlling the urge to kiss John’s neck and tear his clothes off “And I have you…” He bit his lower lip

“We need to have a talk” John closed his eyes, Sherlock’s teasing was getting the best of him and the car ride seemed endless

“We do?” Sherlock nuzzled John’s neck and licked it

“Yes…” He tried to think properly, they owed each other a talk since Vilnius

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Sherlock felt anxiety rolling up and down in his stomach

“No, my love” John shook his head and kissed Sherlock softly, he too was feeling anxious

They arrived to the resort and Bell was ready to jump in the pool the minute she saw it; Sherlock had to run after her and grab her, holding her as close as possible while the little girl struggled trying to get free from her father’s arms

“We have to change before we come to the pool, baby love” Sherlock explained and Bell pouted and tried to squirm away but Sherlock held her more firmly, putting her on the floor and kneeling beside her, to have an eye to eye contact “If you don’t behave, you can’t get in the pool” He said firmly “Papa just said we need to change first, you’re going to do as Papa says or you can forget about the pool” He stood and held her hand and the little girl followed, John was astounded, it was the first time he had seen Sherlock act with such resolution, he was the one that spoiled her constantly

Bell allowed her father to change her and waited until she was given permission to go out and looked at the pool from a distance. Sherlock changed into his swimming trunks and put on a shirt and walked with his daughter to the pool, He got in first and helped the little girl in; they played for a couple of hours until they were both hungry and tired and she asked for something to eat

John waited until Bell was sleep in her bed and went to Sherlock “It was great what you did today” He gave his husband a sweet kiss on the forehead

“She has to learn, or else…” Sherlock shivered “And soon we’ll have two and we can’t rely on Amanda or Mycroft to help us with our kids all the time, we need to set some ground rules; and if I say she has to wait, she has to wait” Sherlock looked at John and held his hand “She fell the other day because she wouldn’t listen to Amanda, she got hurt because she wouldn’t listen… I need to know she’s safe, that if I say she has to wait for me she would” Sherlock closed his eyes, while they were fighting their daughter was alone and got injured

“That’s one of the many things I wanted to talk to you” John sat next to him in the small living room “Something happened between us during that flight to Vilnius” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “And we didn’t talk about it and lay the blame on each other, never assuming the responsibility of our words and actions, and immediately jumping into bed, using sex to avoid talking about it…” He rubbed Sherlock’s knuckles with his thumb

“I know…” Sherlock rubbed his face with his free hand “We’ve been having some terrible fights lately, and they usually end in bed…” He bit his lower lip and looked at John

“I’m sorry I called you a liar” John faced Sherlock and stroked his cheekbone with his thumb “I know that you’re making a huge effort to tell me all that happened to you, to take me to all the places you were at, and all I can think about is…” John bit his lower lip, absolutely embarrassed “How alone I was, what was happening with my life by then, how could I have helped or what could I have done” Sherlock tried to speak but John stopped him with his fingers “And I am completely focused on the way I feel when you’re telling me your story… I feel betrayed, sad, lonely, sometimes guilty, others absolutely enraged…” Sherlock tried to talk again and John stopped him “And I forget that all you’re telling me, everything happened to you… And I just realised, that day in Washington; that you were alone all the time and not once complained about it; not once said that you felt alone…” John was trembling

“John…” Sherlock tried and John stopped him with one look

“You have never said you needed me…” John whispered “You’ve said you missed me, but not once, not once… that you needed me… You’ve said you were used to be alone, to do things alone… without me…”

“John… please” Sherlock tried to hold John but he walked away

“I’ve seen you with them… with all of them, they know everything. They were there, with you, and not once…” He shook his head, finally understanding from where the rage was coming; all the anger contained of years of not knowing, of not wanting to know, combined with the knowledge he had now “You never needed me…” He whispered sadly, standing in front of Sherlock.

“Haven’t you heard them?” Sherlock was befuddled “Haven’t you heard everything they said?” He asked, feeling rage taking over his every emotion

“I HEARD THEM!” John shouted “I heard them…” He repeated harshly, remembering Bell was in the other room “They all said you missed me… they never said you needed me!”

“I needed you” Sherlock breathed “I needed you to be safe, alive, well…” He stood and started pacing “OF COURSE I NEEDED YOU!” His voice was harsh “I wanted you to be there, all the time… Every single thing I did was with you in mind… thinking what you would do… I would talk to you for hours; I would hear your voice, chastising me, telling me when something was a bit not good… And then you would be there, soothing me, evaluating my wounds, telling me that someone was coming while I was rotting away in that basement”

“But it’s not the same…” John sat and watched Sherlock pace

“No… it’s not the same… but my mind provided me with what I needed to keep going… I needed you more than I ever needed anything… and just the knowledge that you were safe kept me going… Without you, there was no reason for me to return” Sherlock slumped back next to John “You’re my colleague, my friend, my best friend, my partner, my lover, my boyfriend and my husband… you’re everything I need John… don’t you get it?” Sherlock had his eyes closed; he could barely breathe, the tightness in his chest more and more menacing

“I don’t mean now…” John tried to think straight but he felt like he was having a heart attack, his heart beating out of control “I mean then…” He tried to breathe “You have never needed me… You said so yourself after what happened with Irene, when she drugged you, and ever since that day, you’d always run on your own and do your thing, never mind if I’m there or not, you just simply go and do…” His voice was strained and filled with sentiment

“You are always there, John” Sherlock took a long breath but couldn’t let it out “And if we’re talking about the past, I introduced you as my friend to Sebastian and you said you were my colleague… My heart broke that day… And you didn’t even notice…” Sherlock could feel the tears in his eyes “And you went with Sarah to New Zealand, you left me alone when I needed you the most… And when The Woman thing happened, you were with what’s her face, wanting to run to her… What good would have done to me if I admitted I needed you, knowing that you would leave either way…” The tears broke free    

“I needed you too” John let out a sob “But I was afraid to admit it…” He rubbed his eyes trying to scare the tears away “I needed you to be there, hold me, love me… I needed you to come back…”

“And I did, for you… And I went to you to tell you how much I needed you and ended up with half my stitches open and a broken nose…” Sherlock brushed his own tears away

“I’m sorry about that…” John sat on the sofa and looked at Sherlock

“I’m sorry for leaving you all those years… I was so afraid at first, and when you asked at Angelo’s, well…” He bit his lower lip but kept his eyes on John “I panicked… I knew, somehow, that I would do everything for you, you needn’t even ask, and I would do everything to see you smile…” Sherlock admitted “I was so afraid… I feared that I might lose myself for you; that you would hate me, reject me… I didn’t know for how long would you stay, and I felt the urge to impress you, so you would stay, and at the same time the urge to run away, spare my poor soul and my silly heart of the ache of losing you…” Sherlock kept biting his lower lip to stop it from trembling “but you’re ingrained in my life, John Watson… without you I’m nothing… you make me… I need you to be… I needed you from the beginning, without you I’m just an ill-tempered, bad mannered, sociopathic drug addict with a narcissistic personality and a superiority complex that belongs either on a padded cell, jail or a grave…” Sherlock looked down

“I… made… you?” John could barely articulate

“Without you, I was only Sherlock Holmes, consulting pain in the arse…” Sherlock chuckled “With you, thanks to you… I’m Sherlock Holmes, the world’s only consulting detective, and I am Sherlock Holmes-Watson, husband, father, friend…” Sherlock tried to smile “Don’t you see? I need you to be… I’m sorry for not telling you that you’re all I need for the rest of my life…” Sherlock sighed “I needed you all along… Whenever they made a mistake I would tell them so ‘That’s not the way John would do it…’ I would say out loud and they would leave, muttering insults or cursing their luck…” Sherlock smiled softly “I’d be lost without my blogger”

“Oh, Love!” John’s smile grew wider and pulled Sherlock close, kissing him with renewed love and passion

“We’re not done talking” Sherlock said between kisses

“No?” John whimpered

“You need to know something else” Sherlock put some distance between their mouths but not their bodies “I never tell you I need you in a conventional way… And perhaps I should, but asking you to be there, interrupting your work hours, talking to you while you’re not there, it’s just my way of showing you how much you mean to me… But I need you to tell me what you want, please… I’ve stopped deducing you so long ago that now I barely have enough data to know what’s bothering you anymore… Talk to me… In spite of what everyone thinks; I don’t read minds” He leaned closer and kissed John “I’m sorry my love for hurting you in such a terrible way… I’ll need millions of lives to make up for every second you suffered because of me” Sherlock embraced John and nuzzled his neck “Thank you for taking me back, even though I broke you and hurt you so horribly” He breathed John in before letting him go

“I love you, Sherlock Holmes-Watson” John kissed him, slowly and tenderly

“I love you, John Watson-Holmes” Sherlock smiled against John’s lips “Can we go to bed now?”

“Yes, please” John breathed   

Sherlock helped John to the bed and undressed him slowly, caressing every muscle, every tendon, every single patch of skin, feeling the difference between the softer skin of his stomach and the rougher skin of his arms. Sherlock touched every single inch of skin, from head to toe, feeling it bristle under his touch, he traced John’s hips, lips, knees, ankles, elbows and neck. John was breathing slowly, feeling every touch light his body. Sherlock moved up John’s body with his lips and tongue, savouring John, slowly but not teasingly

“Tell me what you want?” He licked the question in John’s ear

“You” John breathed “inside of me” Sherlock nodded and went down John’s body, he licked down his perineum to his hole and made John squirm; he lapped and licked until the muscle yielded and started fucking John with his tongue; John moaned and squirmed, his legs trembling and his cock leaking and throbbing. Sherlock took his sweet time teasing John open, and when he slid the first finger inside, John was ready to come. Sherlock held the base of John’s cock and delayed the orgasm. When John relaxed, Sherlock poured lube on his fingers and opened him more

“Ready?” He asked against John’s neck and John nodded. Sherlock pushed in slowly, eyes locked with John’s “Okay?” He asked once he was fully seated and John nodded again. Sherlock rested his body on top of John and started kissing him softly, his eyes, lips, ears, neck “I don’t want to move” He whispered in John’s ear and John held him close, wrapping him with arms and legs

“Then don’t, stay like this, with me” John kissed Sherlock’s ear and lowered his legs, his heels on Sherlock’s thigs, keeping him in and close

“God, John!” Sherlock’s breath hitched “If you do that…” He thrusted once and made John moan “I can’t stop now” He kissed John deeply and started thrusting slowly, his hands traveling to John’s head and to John’s hip, stablishing a maddening rhythm  “Only with me?” He asked, breathless

“Yes!” John chocked “Yes! There!” Sherlock rolled his hips and John cried his name and came, his mind turned off, breathless and totally debauched. He clenched around Sherlock and felt him come inside of him, hot and long, pulsing inside of him, giving John another orgasm, as strong and blinding as the first

“Are you okay?” Sherlock asked when he could breathe again    

“Yes” John sighed contently “Please, don’t move” He held Sherlock close and Sherlock wrapped his arms around John, turning them. John rested his head on Sherlock’s chest and within minutes was asleep. Sherlock pulled out slowly and held his husband, caressing his back and whispering words of love

“Good morning my sweet love” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear when he felt him stir in his arms

“Morning my love” John kissed Sherlock’s shoulder

“Feel like getting up?” Sherlock was caressing John’s back slowly

“Not really…” John stifled a yawn “Where’s Bell?”

“The pool, with Amanda”

“Can we stay here all day?” John nuzzled Sherlock’s neck

“If that’s what you wish” Sherlock kissed his head

“Yes, please”

“Want some breakfast?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to move from this bed”

“I’ll see what I can do” He grabbed his phone and sent a quick text, five minutes later one of Mycroft’s men was placing breakfast next to the bed

The next few days in Vegas they spent at the resort, Bell was fascinated with the pool and her parents were working in the last cases they received from their friends in Spain and a few Mycroft had given them, one of them the case of the blue diamond that Sherlock had been working for over four years. He knew perfectly who had the diamond, but he had no idea whatsoever on how to retrieve it; all he knew was that he’ll have to find Irene, wherever she was.


	94. Los Angeles. October 5th to October 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know…” Sherlock’s smile disappeared and turned into a worried frown “It’s been really hard to keep our relationship from the press… and we’ve been forced to hide, lie, pretend…” Sherlock shivered and John looked at him worriedly “I don’t want to even think on the many ways they might use our children against us…” he pulled over and closed his eyes; he was having a panic attack

“John?” Sherlock called from the door of the hotel to John who was fighting with Bell’s toy bag

“Yes love?” He turned and smiled at his husband, bag forgotten

“Look at this” He showed John his phone

**I heard you’re in New York. Let’s have dinner**

“Irene?” John’s breath hitched

“I guess she has more lives than a cat…” Sherlock sighed. The Woman meant trouble between them

“Don’t worry, love” John could see the tension in Sherlock’s shoulders; he approached him and grabbed his hand lifting it to his lips and kissing it “We’ll manage” He smiled and rubbed Sherlock’s knuckles

“I don’t want to have dinner with her” Sherlock groaned

“I know, love” John sighed “But you need to find that blue diamond”

“WE need to find that blue diamond” Sherlock corrected and leaned close to kiss John

“We do” John smiled and kissed Sherlock “Are we going to New York?”

“No…” Sherlock scowled “We’re going to Los Angeles first… I don’t know what to do there, but Mycroft asked to have the flat for another week”

“Another week?” John frowned “Why?”

“The blue diamond… That’s why Irene thinks I’m in New York… Ever since what happened with Mary, Mycroft has been checking on all our security details, and all the people that’re around him… Being in New York gives him a leverage that people consider as a weakness. He’s supposed to be distracted with his latest “lady friend” and many organisations are on the move; including the diamond smugglers in North Africa and New York” Sherlock explained

“He’s using our home as a government’s office?”

“Of sorts” Sherlock nodded “Right now he’s “freelancing” as FBI or maybe CIA… perhaps even Interpol or all of them…” He shrugged “And he needs our help…”

“The blue diamond…” John rubbed his face

“Exactly… Irene is the contact… she knows them very well, and now the CIA is protecting her…”

“So she’s basically untouchable…” John huffed

“If you’re the British Government, but Mycroft is Interpol, so he can touch her…” Sherlock smirked

“And you can touch her…” John scowled

“I can… I’m a detective and I work for myself; I don’t have allegiance to any particular country” He answered nonchalantly

“And where do I fit in all this?” John rolled his eyes

“We are a team, John” Sherlock gave him the -don’t be daft- look “And as my partner and colleague, you have to be there”

“I know, I know… You need your blogger” He gave Sherlock a half smile “In the meantime… What are we supposed to do in Los Angeles?” Sherlock shrugged and opened the car door for John

The drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles proved to be quite relaxing; They enjoyed the landscape, very different from England, and it gave them time to be just the three of them, unlike at the plane, where they’ll have to be with their security detail, Amanda and the plane crew; unable to talk without being listened… too much… or touch and kiss with the freedom they had the first months of their trip.

“I missed this…” John sighed and looked out the window, reaching for Sherlock’s hand

“Me too…” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “But we’ve changed our ways to provide the best for our children” He smiled, a bit sadly

“Do you regret having her?” John looked at Sherlock

“No” He looked at Bell through the rear-view mirror “Maybe the timing wasn’t perfect, but she is” The smile finally reached his eyes

“And we’ll be four soon...” John realised suddenly

“I know…” Sherlock’s smile disappeared and turned into a worried frown “It’s been really hard to keep our relationship from the press… and we’ve been forced to hide, lie, pretend…” Sherlock shivered and John looked at him worriedly “I don’t want to even think on the many ways they might use our children against us…” he pulled over and closed his eyes; he was having a panic attack

“Breathe, love” John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and scratched his head softly “I’m scared too, but we can do it” John ruffled Sherlock’s curls “Besides, we have the British Government and the New Scotland yard to help us” he chuckled

“I love you” Sherlock leaned his head on John’s shoulder and breathed deeply

“I love you” John kissed his forehead “Want me to drive?”

“No” Sherlock held a breath and let it out slowly “Just relax, we’ll be in Los Angeles in about an hour” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek before he continued driving

They arrived to Long Beach; Sherlock wanted to give John a bit of a vacation before going to New York for work; they’d been trying to reconnect since their last talk in Las Vegas, but it proved to be quite difficult, mostly because Bell demanded their presence constantly, since her fall she didn’t want to be with Amanda, and she could sense something was wrong with her parents; she would not fall asleep in her bed and would wake up crying in the middle of the night asking for them.

Their days in Los Angeles weren’t any different from their days in Las Vegas; Bell was clingy, she would stay in their bed and would cry every time they tried to move her; she wouldn’t allow Amanda to touch her and would ask either Sherlock or John to stay with her all night. Fortunately for them, Los Angeles has lots of attractions, from movie studios to adventure parks where Bell had fun and was distracted, allowing her parents to talk and share a few moments alone

They went riding at the Griffith Park and enjoyed a day at the Tar Pits; Bell was fascinated with the ice age giants, particularly the sabretooth. Sherlock had prepared a special night for them at the Griffith Observatory but Bell wouldn’t fall asleep, so they had to take her on their date night, and their just friends’ night, which was programmed for the night before their departure, was also spoilt by Bell’s ill-temper; not even their visit to the aquarium worked to calm the little girl down.

The Museum of Natural History proved to be a challenge and both were forced to give Bell time outs, she was irritable and would start crying for the simplest things, like Sherlock letting go of John’s hand to get his phone, or John leaving Sherlock alone to get food

The night before their departure, and after much fighting with little Bell to fall asleep, Sherlock relented and kept Bell on his chest, the little girl sighed contently when her father wrapped his arms around her and was fast asleep in less than five minutes

“We need to do something” Sherlock whispered and John nodded “She’s been acting out since we arrived to Las Vegas” He sighed “You think she heard us fight that night?” Sherlock looked up at John

“Maybe” John lowered his head to the pillow and looked at Sherlock “She’s actually been acting out since Vilnius” He stroked Sherlock’s cheek and Sherlock closed his eyes “She’s been clingy and temperamental since our fight in the flight from Portugal”

“I did notice a change, she was clingy and moody all the time, but I thought it was because of her ear infection” Sherlock grabbed John’s hand and kissed the palm, making John shiver

“I thought so too, but it’s been two months already and she no longer has any infection” John closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Sherlock’s lips on his hand

“Maybe we need to do something” Sherlock moved slightly and Bell clung to his chest “I think she’s afraid we might leave her” Sherlock scratched her little head softly “And she wants to make sure that, somehow, we are staying, both of us”

“Maybe that’s the reason why she no longer wants to go the zoo; she was clingy and fussy when we went to the Washington Zoo”

“Yes, she wouldn’t let me go; and she cried half of the time, even though she was distracted with the tigers and the owls; and the morning I went with her to the park she was truly nervous, she would panic if I moved from her sight”

“It was a mistake sending her with Amanda that afternoon; and while we were in Pau she was slightly calm because Mamie was there, but she would cry the entire time while I was with you” John rubbed his face

“I’m so sorry, John” Sherlock shifted closer to John and rested his head on his shoulder, Bell whimpered and both put a hand on her back and the girl relaxed

“Why are you apologising my love?” John brushed his lips on Sherlock’s forehead

“For causing you such distress” Sherlock said with a hair of voice

“It wasn’t your fault a crazy bitch kidnapped you and tortured you the way she did” John propped his head up and looked at Sherlock with serious eyes

“And it wasn’t your fault a crazy bitch kidnapped me and tortured me the way she did” Sherlock retorted

“I can’t believe I almost lost you… again” John shivered “I don’t think I could stand being away from you for that long ever again, not even if we’re willing to be apart”

“It is partly my fault that we’ve been apart this last couple of months” Sherlock admitted “I’d been going for longer walks since we arrived to Vilnius…” He confessed “I know you know of my “walkabouts” here, but I made sure you were fast asleep when I went on my walks in Europe”

“I knew” John rubbed Sherlock’s crease “I figured you needed your time alone to… reconnect… with the cities, besides, you used to do it once a week, never more, sometimes less… I didn’t worry until Minsk…” John let out a shaky breath “You’d been so sick I worried you’ll pass out and I couldn’t find you, because you always left your phone at the hotel” He scratched Sherlock’s head “But I somehow understood you needed your space… You used to do the same in London, why would it be any different because we’re in another country?”

“You knew all along?” Sherlock blushed

“Of course I knew” John smiled and gave Sherlock’s forehead a kiss “What kind of partner, boyfriend and husband would I be if I had no idea that my man was going for walks after he thought I was asleep?” He smirked and Sherlock chuckled “I know you need a breather… I know you need to evaluate, process, think… and sometimes I would wait for you, others I just fell asleep… The first few months of our relationship were difficult, because I would wake up and you wouldn’t be there, and I was afraid it was all a dream, but then you’d return and tell me you love me and hold me and I would feel relieved”

“I’m sorry” Sherlock looked truly contrite “I’m really sorry, John, please, forgive me”

“Forgiven and forgotten, love” He gave Sherlock a soft kiss on the lips “The day I shot the cabbie you went on a walk afterwards, after you thought I was asleep, and you returned after a couple of hours and climbed up to my room… I still remember all you said to my door” John smiled softly, that smile that melted Sherlock and rendered him breathless and speechless

“I meant every word” Sherlock’s voice faltered

“And I remember every word” John whispered against Sherlock’s lips “Thank you, for staying, for running with me, for giving me a chance and believing that I’m worth knowing. Thank you for giving me my life back”

“You memorised it” Sherlock beamed

“It was your first love confession to me, of course I memorised it” John laughed and Bell startled awake, she frowned to her father and John tousled her hair “Sleep, beautiful, Papa’s here” The little girl sighed and rested her head again on Sherlock’s chest

“I guess we’ll be three in bed for a while” Sherlock sighed and rubbed Bell’s back “Perhaps we should go back to London, create a new routine, going to work, giving her some sort of stability to fall back”

“I don’t think our line of work would give her any stability, love” John smiled again “We never work from nine to five, so there is no routine there; I am an ex-army doctor, with an adrenaline addiction, who loves carrying a gun and running around town, following you, the world’s only consulting detective that gets off by solving murders, calling himself a high-functioning sociopath and terrorising the Yard” John laughed again, heartily “traveling around and going to museums, taking her to amusements parks and bathing her every night, the two of us, it’s the most normal our life is going to get” John sighed “If we go back to London now, we’ll have to work, and she might see even less of us… The week of Mycroft’s wedding we had three cases, we were barely home, and Bell resented staying with your parents”

“We’ll never be normal” Sherlock let out a long and frustrated sigh

“Thank God” John chuckled “We’re not built for “normal”, love” He rubbed Sherlock’s hand “We are meant to be extraordinary” He lifted the hand to his lips and kissed it

“I’ve missed you” Sherlock rubbed his face against John’s shoulder

“I’ve missed you too” John rested his head on Sherlock’s “Let me help you off this clothes so we can get into bed properly, yeah?” He moved away and Bell opened her eyes, looking at her father intently “I’m putting my pyjamas, beautiful” He gestured to the t-shirt in his hand “and I’m helping Daddy put his, okay?” Bell nodded and let Sherlock change, watching as John helped him remove his shirt and put his t-shirt on. As soon as Sherlock lied on the bed, Bell climbed on top of him and clutched her little fists on Sherlock’s shirt, resting on top of her father 

“I guess I won’t be going anywhere tonight” He snorted and rested his head fully on the pillow

“None of that, Mister” John pulled him close and had Sherlock’s head on his chest “There” he carded his fingers on Sherlock hair “much better” he sighed contently and kept on passing his fingers on Sherlock’s hair until they both fell asleep. For the first time since their fight in Vilnius, they both had slept all night in each other’s arms.

Morning found them holding each other, John resting his head on Sherlock’s chest; they looked up and Bell was sitting on the headboard, her hands on Sherlock’s hair, messing it up

“Mornin’ Daddy!” She smooched Sherlock the moment he looked up “I want brekfas’…” She smiled at him

“And what do you want, beautiful” John asked looking up at her

“Pancake, Daddy” She rolled her eyes in the best -it’s obvious- Sherlockian way ever

“Fine, fine” John chuckled and called for room service “What do you want, love?” He asked Sherlock and Sherlock rolled his eyes too in the same -it’s obvious- way John loved so much “My bad…” He sighed and watched fondly as Sherlock played with Bell, the little girl sitting on his stomach, squirming and trying to get away from the relentless tickling

Their morning happiness was interrupted by a call, it was Mycroft, the plane was at LAX and they were needed urgently in New York.

“Gregory’s back in London, he left the day before yesterday and he already has a few leads; we found the smugglers’ ring you followed from Russia and we finally have the buyers located, both in New York and London. I need you in New York now. You already know the lay of the land… You have a meeting at Tiffany’s tomorrow”

“Tiffany’s?” Sherlock frowned “They don’t buy blood diamonds”

“I know, but our informant knows who does, because he negotiates with Tiffany’s and if you happen to be there at the same time, buying a watch for your anniversary with your husband, no one would think you’re there for information”

“He already has a pocket one” Sherlock retorted

“I know, but all you have to do is leave the store with a blue box” Mycroft said with a tired voice “and the information”

“Eighteen hundred”

“I’ll make the arrangements to have you there at nine hundred”

“Make sure we get to La Guardia” Sherlock huffed

“That’s a given” Mycroft answered coldly “Flat is clear, I’ll move to the Plaza tonight”

“Don’t. It’ll be good for Bell to be with you… She’s been… Difficult…”

“We’ll talk more as soon as you arrive” Mycroft said as a goodbye

“New York?” John asked his troubled husband

“New York” Sherlock grimaced


	95. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson. November 10th saved on drafts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The return of "The Woman" , and following the idea that she was involved with a princess... and I added the blue diamond...

**The Woman and the Blue Diamond**

Yet again, my road crosses with The Woman’s. Several years ago, after the “Scandal in Belgravia” case, I thought I had seen the last of her after I handed Sherlock her phone and told him that she was under protective custody. That was a blatant lie, since I knew she was killed in Karachi by some Pashtun tribe; what I didn’t know was that ~~my husband,~~ Sherlock Holmes had rescued her from certain death and that in the end she had asked the United States Government to protect her in exchange of a few secrets that became quite useful in some international elections… enough said about that.

As I was explaining, our roads crossed yet again, and this time in New York, and interrupted a brief vacation I had planned with my daughter, to take her away from all the fuss created by the press because of her mother’s recent passing. I thought everything would go smoothly; that is until I saw Sherlock Holmes taking the seat next to me in the plane and handing me a file that contained a case. I should have known that he was coming with the moment he handed me the plane tickets ( **This is how you should write this, John! S** ) (Stop hacking my blog!) ( **Why are you writing this so late, we solved it over a week ago? S** ) (Stop hacking my blog!)

We arrived to New York after a really long flight from London and we immediately set to work. The Woman had written to Sherlock a few days prior, but when Sherlock attempted to contact her, a man told him that his “girlfriend” was in danger, that if he wanted her back, he’ll go to New York and deliver the blue diamond.

Of course Sherlock had no idea about it, but after a few interviews with several jewellers in London and New York, he located one of the few jewellers that worked with this rare stones and had all the connections to obtain diamonds from South Africa; this man, a Russian that lived in New York, had an entire blood diamonds smuggling ring that distributed the illegally obtained stones around the world.

Here is where The Woman appears; after helping a detective to find and take down a jewellery smugglers’ ring, she decided she deserved a reward and “collected” it by taking one of the largest diamonds I’ve ever seen. According to Sherlock it was over three carats (whatever that means, Mary’s was less than one, of that I’m positive), meaning a massive stone set in a platinum band and surrounded by smaller white diamonds

The Woman had the ring delivered to Sherlock, and it was waiting for him in a safe deposit box at some posh bank, and he was the only one that could retrieve it; so off we went to the safe deposit. Unfortunately for us, the Russian smuggler was waiting for Sherlock too; he had been following The Woman for the past year and he had located her in one of those posh neighbourhoods in New York. She was living there with another identity and had found new ways to “dominate” New York City… and the Government

After retrieving the ring, things got really serious, we were being followed and started receiving threats from the Russian smugglers, they not only wanted the blue diamond, but also wanted to retrieve a few other items that had been recovered a few year prior, including a Faberge Egg that belonged to the Russian Imperial Family and some other crown jewels that had been returned to the Russian Government a couple of years ago, by an anonymous source.

The Russians were certain that Sherlock was that anonymous source and decided to ask him in the way they know how, by beating the information out of him. Unlike many times, Sherlock had taken the advice of calling the Mets’ finest and he had a full contingent of agents both from the police, the CIA and the FBI, after the second punch, twenty officers, between bobbies and detectives, entered the basement where he was being “interrogated” and arrested the American leader of the ring, obtaining enough information to arrest the Russian and a few South Africans that were smuggling diamonds to the United States and Europe, mostly England and France.

But it wasn’t that simple; even though we had found the buyers, we still needed to find the sellers, and the distributors have such a code of silence that they would rather die than betray their leaders; which lead us to believe that some important person was involved in the smuggling scheme. The trace led us to Egypt and Morocco; and of course to Australia and South Africa, and to some very important families involved in the smuggling.

The jewellery smuggling ring was now head less, and we had to wait for a new boss to be appointed, Sherlock had to follow a couple of the men that had escaped the intervention and he found them negotiating with some Egyptian and Israeli jewellers all the rest of the diamonds the New York police hadn’t confiscated. Sherlock notified the CIA and the Agency started a new investigation process, including us in the meetings, and excluding the police. Upon further investigation, the reason behind the escaped smugglers and the remaining diamonds was because the Precinct Captain was one of the possible smuggling heads to be appointed soon, and he turned his back to his duty in order to obtain a much better position in the blood diamonds’ market.                      

The CIA “convinced” the Brooklyn buyers to request more diamonds, but this time, the buyer was none other than Sherlock Holmes. He managed to interrogate the seller, wanting to know from where the diamonds were coming, giving him enough information to keep him calm, giving him a few names that made him confident, and soon, he was invited to a ring meeting.

We made preparations, called the CIA, and the CIA involved the FBI, the police was left in the dark, until Sherlock could confirm the Captain was in fact part of the ring; After the first meeting, Sherlock gave confirmation and the Agencies started to follow the Captain, finding about his finances and discovering that more than a few police officers were involved not only in jewellery smuggling, but in drugs and weapons trafficking.

Sherlock was invited to another meeting, where he found the real extent of the ring; they’d been trying to regain some of the lost control after Moriarty’s death, and they’d been reconstructing the network with the help of the money obtained from the blood diamonds; a few Middle East families, and of course, the support of Eastern Europe smuggling rings and Mafias.

Sherlock decided he would follow up the case, with the help of the FBI and the CIA, and the later involvement of Interpol, he managed to capture the main head of smuggling ring in New York, he had attended to one of the meetings and Sherlock was able to follow him to his hotel. The smuggler thought he had won the lottery when Sherlock Holmes walked in his hotel; they had an unresolved issue and with Sherlock in New York, apparently alone, he could “cash” the debt.

Sherlock went with him to a meeting in the hotel, they recognised each other, and much in the way he had interrogated the cabbie, he obtained all the information from this particular Mafia boss. It’s amazing how much information you can get when people think you’re going to die, and much like what happened when the cabbie was shot, another mysterious shooter took care of the boss and he was gunned down before he could hurt Sherlock.

According to Sherlock, the man threatened to kill him the same way he had killed a few other men that Sherlock had made his acquaintance with, he used the roulette technique and after the second attempt, the mysterious shooter took the smuggler down, right after Sherlock obtained a few other names he needed to end with the smuggling ring. Suffice to say that Sherlock was content with the information he had gathered, and as far as he was concerned; a possible return of a third Moriarty wasn’t possible.

After the arrests were made, the precincts cleared of any possible Mafia members, and the smuggling ring on the way of being dismantled by Interpol and police members from France, England, Morocco and Egypt, Sherlock was able to concentrate on paper work and finally return to England.


	96. Irene, the CIA and the bloody blue diamond. New York October 10th to November 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team walked to the hotel and they found Igoshen on the floor, Sherlock was waiting for them; they had enough information to prevent a new Moriarty; the Russian and French police were ready to make the arrests and take down the rising organisation. The moment Sherlock saw John he walked straight to him and held him close; John returned the hug and they stayed like that for a long while until Mycroft made his appearance and told them that they were needed to fill paper work, give statements and clear John

“Okay” Sherlock huffed “Lay it on me” He said to a rather tired looking Mycroft

“I thought my honeymoon would be a nice vacation, but our second week here I received an envelope from Miss Adler containing these” He handed Sherlock a key and a card that said that he was the only one with access to a safe box in the Bank of New York

“And why didn’t you send it to me the moment it arrived?” Sherlock started pacing, he recognised Irene’s handwriting and he was certain that if she relinquished the ring it was because something happened to her “Somebody wrote to me last week, the message said ‘let’s have dinner’, and the only one that has asked me that is The Woman” he showed Mycroft the text message, but the number had been blocked already “Anna Grace told me that she had killed Irene, apparently someone, pretending to be her, tried to lure me to New York; they had no idea I was still in Las Vegas” He steepled his fingers under his chin

“I tried to trace the sender, but it was a burner. As you know, the number is blocked and the man I had following Irene lost her a couple of weeks ago” Agent Summers explained

“She’s alive?” Sherlock looked at Summers and started deducing him

“Yes, she is, she went in hiding, but we had an agreement; if she disappeared I was supposed to contact you immediately, unfortunately, with all the information we’ve gathered, bringing you here so soon after we found the plans to kill you was counterproductive: it was putting you and your family in more danger than it’s necessary” He looked at Bell, sleeping on the sofa, she had refused to move unless her parents were with her

“We’ve been following someone from your past” Mycroft handed Sherlock a set of pictures “Igoshin is back…” Mycroft rubbed his face and Sherlock paled

“He knows we were in Russia” Mycroft nodded “And he was behind the children abductions” He started deducing left and right “He knows about me and John and he’s completely aware of Bell being with us” Mycroft had a grim look on his face

“They want to regain control, and the hit on them when we dismantled the drug smuggling was rather hard. Now they had found another way to fund the organisation and are planning on killing you to succeed” Mycroft handed him another file with transcript of conversations Igoshin had with Anna Grace and Blanicoff.

“Anyone care to explain to me what the hell is going on?” John was enraged, he needed to know if their lives were in danger, again

“Nikka allowed Anna Grace to torture her in order to gain information. After the case in Russia and after you dismantled the drug trafficking ring, many heads turned towards you. Even though we tried to keep you out of the papers…” Mycroft scratched his head “There were some publications we couldn’t control, no matter how much we tried, small papers, magazine, the web…” he sighed “those are the best sources of information for the people that had been following you since you started your trip… Anna Grace had people on you since Russia, because Igoshin, Blanicoff’s right hand, told her you helped take down their operation” He handed John the transcripts and John’s eyes widened open, they had every single locations they had been, until the day Sherlock was abducted; conversations between them, pictures, and also transcripts of the conversations between Mary and Igoshen, Mary and Blanicoff, and even some conversations between Mary and David, agreeing on when he should send Isabelle to them…

“How long have you know of this?” John growled

“The information was sent to me after my wedding. My security detail was worried with my presence here, that’s why I allowed them to leak the information about me being here with a “lady friend”, taking a vacation” Mycroft started pacing next to his brother and John didn’t like it “The first couple of weeks it was truly a vacation, then it turned into a race against time to keep you safe…” He faced Sherlock who had stopped pacing “That’s why I kept you away from New York, until I knew what they were planning to do”

“And their plans are?” John bit his lip after the question, he already knew the answer

“Kill me after I retrieve the goods” Sherlock shivered “I can’t do it…” Sherlock shook his head and looked at John “I need to keep my family safe” he covered his mouth with his hands “I can’t, Mycroft…” His voice was shaky; John went to him and held him tightly, rubbing his back soothingly

“We can do it, if we do it together” He whispered in Sherlock’s ear “I love you, Sherlock Holmes-Watson. We can do it” He kissed the words in Sherlock’s ear

“I need you there, please” Sherlock breathed John’s calming scent “Please?” He squeezed John harder and John nodded

“Together, my love” John burrowed his head on Sherlock’s chest and they stayed like that for a while before Summers cleared his throat

“You have to go to the safe, we need to get that ring; it’s worth fourteen million dollars and it belongs to a very important English lady” he tapped his fingers together “They’ve also asked for you to return the Faberge Egg and some other antiquities that we know you gave back to Russia, Croatia and China”

“And after?” John let out a long breath

“After, we follow Mister Holmes everywhere” Summers rubbed his chin “I suggest you do whatever you do when you travel, and we’ll keep an eye on you” He looked at Bell again “We need you to come to the precinct though, tonight” He looked at John apologetically “Apparently our man in the police is a mole, but we haven’t found anything to link him to the smugglers” Summers frowned and let out a frustrated huff

Sherlock looked at John and John nodded “we have to take our daughter” Sherlock said and picked up Bell

“No” John shook his head

“John…” John shook his head again

“No… Our baby stays here with Amanda, I don’t care if she’s moody or clingy tomorrow, she stays, she needs to learn that we won’t be here all the time” He looked at his husband pointedly “no Sherlock” He repeated and Sherlock took the baby to her room and left her there    

They went to the precinct and took Sherlock twenty minutes to point to the men that were part of the smuggling ring; they had several items in them that lead the detective to believe they were receiving money from sources outside their line of work, some non-regulation Italian shoes, expensive tie pins, expensive watches, all purchased recently

The next day he went to the programmed meeting at Tiffany’s, and left with earrings for Bell and a silver rattler for Hamish; he walked to the bank, and he knew he was being followed, he was glad he left John and Bell in their flat… when he arrived, John was eager to know how everything went and Sherlock told him that in fact, Irene had left the ring for him and a note with a few addresses in Brooklyn, all jewellers that were willing to help them.

The next couple of days they went to the park and the Museum of Natural History; and to their surprise, Bell insisted on going to the Zoo with her parents; they tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but John could feel Sherlock’s nervousness; he tried to stay away from his husband, but Sherlock grabbed his hand and didn’t let go of it the entire time “I need you” He whispered when John looked up at him and John leaned close and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder. They walked hand in hand through the Zoo and Bell seemed calmer; John had explained to her that they had to work and that they had to go out and leave her with Amanda; Bell cried, but Amanda had found a way to keep her distracted, playing Sherlock’s songs whenever they had to leave.

Their third day, they received a note from the Tiffany’s man and Sherlock followed the lead, with John close behind him; Sherlock called the police, in order to find the other members and get a better idea on who was involved; and Summers provided Sherlock with a contingent of agents that would help arrest the guilty parties. As previously planned, he’ll have to let one of the men hot him and abduct him; and then be taken to the meeting place; of course, John would be there following every action from an inconspicuous car.

The moment Sherlock was taken John was ready for action, he dressed in full gear and was with the attack team; by the second time Sherlock was hit to know who he was; John was there bashing skulls; Sherlock took note of how many men left, how many bags were taken and how many police men acted the most worried after the four men escaped; it took them another week to find those men, and thanks to Irene’s directions, they were able to negotiate with two Brooklyn jewellers, and Egyptian and an Israeli that were in the business of rare diamonds, they knew from where the diamonds came, and made sure that they weren’t blood diamonds, which is why Sherlock was able to convince them of buying , they were the only ones left in the block to be convinced to acquire such stones.

In that free week they had, Sherlock made sure that his little family was distracted, thinking of everything but the case they were on. Bell insisted on going to the Zoo again, and they both were relieved because the little girl was returning to normal, having her parents with her every day, at least for a few hours, comforted her, As for their relationship, things had changed for the better, they were once again in that honeymoon haze and daze that had them walking everywhere holding hands, kissing, hugging, and finding corners to ravish each other in every way possible.

John had prepared a couple of surprises for Sherlock, taking him to the places he had enjoyed the most while he was in New York, one the Strawberry Fields in Central Park, where they shared a picnic, the other the Statue of Liberty where they climbed to the top and John showed Sherlock one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen; his camera was a protagonist again, and the sunset was as perfect as the one they shared that first afternoon in Paris, only this time, Sherlock was holding Bell and he looked even more beautiful now.

John was unable to contain himself and the moment they arrived to their Fifth Avenue flat, John was ravishing Sherlock; Mycroft and Amanda had to make a run for it and Mycroft took his little niece out for dinner while her parents were otherwise preoccupied. They also spent enough time at the MOMA, the MET, and even at the Rockefeller Centre; even though the interesting things happened by Christmas, they enjoyed part of the afternoon walking from their flat to the tall buildings, and John enjoyed a shave and a haircut, while Sherlock scowled all the time at the barber that, according to him, had butchered his hair.

Their day at the Guggenheim was changed for the next week, because they had another mission; it was time to buy some diamonds in Brooklyn, and Sherlock was certain that if he played his cards right he might be able to capture Igoshen in no time. He managed to buy the diamonds, deliver them to the Interpol, and he had found all the buyers, and as he attended a dealers’ meeting, some of the buyers were arrested, and also some of the pushers, meaning the dealers that pushed the product in the areas. Sherlock questioned them, but they refused to talk; thanks to the information Greg sent from London, they were able to identify two of the sellers and capture a few more dealers and pushers in Paris and London; one of them was related to a renowned Egyptian family, and that was the lead they needed to find a contact to take down the smuggling ring in Alexandria.

During that week, they managed to capture the Moroccan and the Australian, and now they needed enough evidence to finish with the Russian leg; they had to wait another week, until Igoshen arrived to New York; and Sherlock walked in his hotel, identifying him immediately. Even though he despises leg work, Mycroft was there with his brother the entire time; holding John back during their first encounter, and listening to all the threats about skinning John, gutting Bell and having Sherlock watch while his family died “I’ll have you begging for their lives” Igoshen told Sherlock, but was befuddled by the Detectives attitude

“You’ll find that intimidating me with such empty threats is futile” Sherlock snarled “You must be well aware by now that my colleague’s safety is of no concern to me; I live for the work and nothing more” Even though he was sweating cold, and every threat made his knees feel weak, he had to act as nonchalant as possible, and he had the expected reaction; Igoshen threatened to kill John

“You’ll have to wait and see” Igoshen laughed “You’ll be relaxed and happy with your… “colleague” is it? He quoted and showed Sherlock a picture of them kissing “You won’t know what hit him…” He laughed again and left

Sherlock tried to steady his breathing; they’ll have to act sooner than expected, John’s life was at stake and he could never endanger his love. That night they talked about the strategy and Sherlock knew he’ll have to move even faster than Igoshen; Mycroft and Summers agreed and they planned another meeting in two days; those two days, Sherlock made sure to act as normal as possible, as if the threat hadn’t scared him shitless; they went to the park, and they had people watching over them; he knew that Igoshen would want him to feel safe, for at least a few more days, he wouldn’t act with the Detective as prevented as he was.

Close to the end of the month, a good lead helped them accelerate a meeting with Igoshen; they found the mole in the precinct, and were able to arrest the cops involved in the smuggling ring; the Interpol and the local police captured the South African dealer; and the Australian had finally gave the names of the men that were helping him smuggle stones in exchange for weapons

Feeling trapped, Igoshen made another threat and killed one of John’s security detail; John was the first in the car and the man fell almost on top of him “I didn’t miss” Sherlock received an email with the picture of John under his security detail, and he knew Igoshen was desperate, they had cornered him with all the arrests they had made, and he had lost the support of the Russian families again; both in Russia and the United States.

Once again, Sherlock followed Igoshen to his hotel and managed to take him to one of the many meeting rooms at the Plaza. John was posted with a team on the building right in front of the meeting room, and Sherlock had to make sure they were able to see them; the hotel manager helped them and was willing to do whatever was needed to apprehend the criminal

Everything was set, Igoshen made his threats and he acted like the mess he was supposed to act this time, he asked Igoshen to spare John, and Igoshen started talking about his plans to bring back Moriarty’s world network

“I won’t allow you to destroy what took years to create” He snarled and Sherlock flinched when he felt the gun against his forehead “Now, now, Mister Holmes” Igoshen licked his forehead “James was careless, Anna Grace was too passionate, and after the cunt gave birth she became such a bitch…” He started pacing from one side to the other of the small meeting room and Sherlock could hear John desperate to have him back on sight

“And you think you’re the clever one?” Sherlock pretended to regain control, not that he ever lost it “Four people had to die for you to finally take on the lead” He smirked and Igoshen practically lost it, walking right beside him to the seat next to the window “While you pace desperately, comparing yourself to Anna Grace and Moriarty, and I’m sure you’ll be comparing yourself soon with that moron Blanicoff…” Sherlock snorted “I’m sitting here, waiting for you to realise that the only one here with something to lose is you” Sherlock gave the team the information they needed, he was the one sitting and Igoshen was the one pacing in front of the window

“Your cleverness is not going to save you this time, Holmes” Igoshen walked close to him “I have men outside your apartment, the moment your so called colleague leaves the building with the little girl, they’ll both be taken to a location and killed in the most fun way… I won’t threat you the way James and Anna Grace did, I’ll simply take them from you while we play roulette” He smirked

In the meantime, Mycroft gave the order to move the little girl to The Plaza and sweep the flat; they found four marksmen and three gunmen waiting for John to leave the flat. Amanda had the perfect decoy when she left with Bell this morning, the girl was sleeping and she took her to the hotel, as agreed, hidden in a bag; while John left the building with the team in a van; Igoshen had no idea they had a private lift to their flat. When the thugs heard movement in the flat, they entered, only to find themselves surrounded by a swat team. Sherlock received confirmation and he started working Igoshen up

“Roulette?” Sherlock quirked a brow, resting more on his chair and moving his head away from the window, getting Igoshen in sight “Isn’t that a bit…” He clicked his tongue “old fashioned?”

“Not when you’re the only one playing…” Igoshen smirked and removed five of the six bullets from the gun and giving the barrel a spin. Sherlock looked at gun and pretended to be calm, after the first click he relaxed and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he moved further away from the window, having Igoshen move closer and be right in sight. Igoshen gave another spin to the barrel; Sherlock was sweating profusely but remained calm; Igoshen pointed the gun to Sherlock’s temple, and after the second click, Sherlock heard a shot, he threw himself to the floor and saw as Igoshen fell right in front of him, a single bullet to the middle of his forehead and a shout from Summers berating John for taking the hit   

“What the fuck was that?” Summers kept on shouting and Sherlock wanted to punch the arsehole that was shouting at his husband

“Agent Summers, do you have any idea how a gun sounds when the barrel is spun?” Sherlock asked

“No…” Summers huffed and tried to calm down

“Well, my husband does, and he knew that after so many spins, I’ll get a bullet” Sherlock let out a long breath “Good shot” He said and the smile could be heard

The team walked to the hotel and they found Igoshen on the floor, Sherlock was waiting for them; they had enough information to prevent a new Moriarty; the Russian and French police were ready to make the arrests and take down the rising organisation. The moment Sherlock saw John he walked straight to him and held him close; John returned the hug and they stayed like that for a long while until Mycroft made his appearance and told them that they were needed to fill paper work, give statements and clear John

“Our anniversary is tomorrow” Sherlock complained after four hours of waiting for John to give his statement

“I know, brother mine” Mycroft said in French and Sherlock took the hint; they both started pacing in the small interrogation room where they were “I’ve given him Interpol clearance to take the shot, but you know how this Americans are, Summers wanted to take the credit” He smirked and Sherlock laughed “There shouldn’t be more delay after they receive the clearance; it’s been active since you left England” Sherlock looked at his brother with clear surprise “I needed to keep you safe, and if that meant having John firing a gun, I had to make sure he wouldn’t get in too much trouble” Mycroft shrugged

“But you were worried about who shot Blanicoff” Sherlock quirked a brow and gave his brother a questioning look

“I needed to make sure that John wasn’t the shooter that time; it was a matter of future security, you were already in enough danger going back to certain places, to also have the man that finished the big boss walking around without knowing he had a hit on his head…” Mycroft explained

“Thank you” Sherlock breathed “I want to go home…” He sat again and tapped his fingers on the table

“I know” Mycroft sat next to him and they started speaking in German “They are watching us, and if I’m correct, they might have found someone that understands French, because they’ve delayed, once again, John’s release” He looked at his watch, another half hour had passed

“They want us to confess John took the shot without clearance” Sherlock smirked and shook his head “You told John he was cleared to use a registered gun when I was abducted in Serbia” Sherlock rolled his eyes

“No…” Mycroft clicked his tongue “I told him he was cleared to use a gun after Blanicoff shot you”

“Ah, my husband” Sherlock chuckled “I’m glad you cleared him…” Sherlock looked at his brother “I guess I should act as if I know nothing”

“No” Mycroft shook his head “When they ask you have to tell them what you know, that John has Interpol clearance for a year now”

“English?” Sherlock asked and Mycroft nodded “How long does it take to interrogate a man that has Interpol clearance for a year now?” Sherlock sighed and slumped on the chair, the clear action of a defeated man. Ten minutes later, John was being released and they were finally able to go back home


	97. A Plaza Anniversary. October 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It doesn’t matter they’d been married for a year; it doesn’t matter the many fights they had the past few months, it doesn’t matter the many times they had slept apart, because of fights, hospital stays, miss-understandings, or Bell in their bed; every time they make love it feels like the first time, almost three years ago, and every single time, John is tender, and makes Sherlock feel like the only person in the world; every touch, every kiss, every single word makes his brain shut off, his restless mind comes to a full stop, and all he can feel is John’s body against his, and John’s hands on his hips, his hair, his back, and John’s lips on his neck or his own lips, and there is nothing else but the two of them in that moment

The Plaza Hotel manager was waiting for them; John couldn’t believe they were invited to stay at such posh hotel, and the minute he entered the Eloise suite, he knew Bell would stay there all by herself, not minding where her parents were. The little girl squealed happily when she saw all the pink, the dolls and other toys in what she called “my room”, and her parents left her there happily, wanting to share a moment alone for the first time in long weeks

“We’ll be married for a year tomorrow” John said when he settled in the king bed of the Grand Penthouse Suite

“I know” Sherlock smiled and settled next to him

“This suite is as big as our flat” John was making a bit of small talk, he was feeling nervous, whenever they made love they would usually be kissing by now, and if they were talking they’d be playing or tickling, but for once, they were calm, resting next to each other

“Give or take a few feet” Sherlock nodded “Our home has three bedrooms, which is perfect because Hamish will have his own room, and the kitchen is rather big” He looked at John and smiled, he was feeling nervous too, he never imagined being married, much less for a year

“I like the fireplace the most” John turned and locked gazes with Sherlock “I was thinking that the Christmas three would fit perfectly there” He smiled at the thought “And that tub is to die for” He chuckled, feeling every hair in his body stand in attention when Sherlock reached for his waist 

“I liked the flat because of the view from the terrace; being on the last floor, and having a triplex penthouse is quite nice” His skin bristled when John reached for his waist and scooted closer

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” John leaned closer and brushed his nose against Sherlock’s. Sherlock shook his head and closed his eyes, his heart beating madly in his chest and his breathing getting quicker, much like his pulse “I love you, so much” John whispered and his hand travelled from Sherlock’s waist to Sherlock’s nape

“I love you” Sherlock whispered against John’s lips and kissed him just the way he knows John likes. The slight pressure over his lips, mouth open, tongues battling for control, until John goes limp in his arms, breathless, and allows Sherlock to deepen the kiss and explore his mouth fully with his soft and velvety tongue that tastes like peppermint and tea, that taste, that soft, yet strong touch that leaves him with a tingling sensation all over his body for days, that makes his knees buckle and his breath get caught in his throat, after almost three years of kissing like that, he still gets wrapped up in that kiss and he sighs contently “I love you” Sherlock repeats and John smiles, kissing him again.

John pushed Sherlock softly and rested his full body on top of his Detective, gazes locked and a silent agreement; John no longer has to ask to remove Sherlock’s clothing, he simply slides his hands over Sherlock’s sides until he finds the hem of the shirt and pulls it up, keeping their bodies together and kissing Sherlock’s neck, in that exact spot that makes Sherlock squirm and beg, and after over two years of sleeping together, Sherlock’s skin still bristles under John’s touch and it feels like the first time, his body starts burning under John’s touch and his breath hitches every single time John touches that sensitive spot on his neck and kisses it with tenderness at first, growing in passion with every pass of lips and tongue.

It doesn’t matter they’d been married for a year; it doesn’t matter the many fights they had the past few months, it doesn’t matter the many times they had slept apart, because of fights, hospital stays, miss-understandings, or Bell in their bed; every time they make love it feels like the first time, almost three years ago, and every single time, John is tender, and makes Sherlock feel like the only person in the world; every touch, every kiss, every single word makes his brain shut off, his restless mind comes to a full stop, and all he can feel is John’s body against his, and John’s hands on his hips, his hair, his back, and John’s lips on his neck or his own lips, and there is nothing else but the two of them in that moment

It doesn’t matter that they’d been married for a year, or that they’d been making love for almost three years now; for John it always feels like the first time, and it doesn’t matter that he was angry, sad, confused, or even tired; the only thing that makes sense to him is Sherlock’s body under his; Sherlock’s hair between his fingers; Sherlock’s lips on his ear, Sherlock’s pulse on his lips, his hand holding Sherlock’s hips close to him, and their bodies entwined, dancing a primal dance, nothing else matter but the two of them in that moment when they become one

But still, John asks, he loves to hear Sherlock say it, so he asks, every single time “what do you want?” and he loves how deep Sherlock’s voice gets when he answers

“You” And it’s but a sigh and John’s world stops, flips and turns and he gets lost in those eyes and waits for the confirmation of his desires “Inside me, just you” and John’s breath hitches and he repeats what he has said for what feels like eons now

“You’ll be the death of me, Sherlock Holmes” and he adds the “Watson” just to savour it, to feel the heat and weight of it on his tongue, and to enjoy the rush that goes through his entire body when Sherlock shivers at the name, and looks down and finds that vulnerable man that is willing to give everything to him and his heart swells with the love he feels and his heart stops when those greenish-bluish, the colour of the ocean after sunset eyes fix on him

And Sherlock smiles and John is dazzled again by that smile that says everything “I want you, John Watson-Holmes” and their worlds collide, implode, explode, flip and turn, because Sherlock feels the weight of the word on his tongue and the thrill that runs down his entire body when John moans softly and bits his lower lip, locking gazes again with Sherlock when he re-opens his eyes, and there is nothing more in the world for Sherlock that moment

And John moves his hand away from Sherlock’s hair and Sherlock whimpers at the loss, he misses that hand curled up in his hair that makes him feel owned; but he knows that that exact same hand will travel down his body, holding that little bottle, warming the liquid inside, and he will feel that hand, will make him feel wanted, needed, and will open him with tenderness and love; but Sherlock gasps in surprise when he feels John’s tongue and he can’t hold the cry that escapes his mouth when John laps again and starts moving his tongue with a maddening rhythm that turns Sherlock’s brain into a useless mass that works only to send signals of pleasure to his entire body

And John smiles, and kisses, nips and laps with abandon, because there is nothing better than that hidden Sherlock flavour and scent that John loves so much, that John finds exquisite and desirable, and that he can’t get enough off, and another moan brings him back to the present and Sherlock is shivering and biting his lip and fisting the sheets, knuckles almost white, and John takes pity on him and pushes a finger in and Sherlock breathes again and relaxes slightly, until John scratches softly that sweet bundle of nerves and Sherlock cries with pleasure and John can’t stop the smile that settles on his lips and he moves another finger and enjoys the way the muscle clenches and Sherlock breathes heavily, and then another one, another brush, and Sherlock is begging

And Sherlock begging is the most wonderful thing in the world, begging for him to love him, to fill him, to become one; and John is too willing to comply, and he pushes in and stays still for a little eternity, enjoying the way Sherlock’s body lets him in, lets him breach and possess and there is nothing better than the feeling of Sherlock’s warmth welcoming him, surrounding him; it’s so violent and so tender at the same time and they both stay still until the need to move is too much.

John knows exactly what Sherlock likes, and he knows he could die happy listening to Sherlock moan and call his name the way he does when he thrusts in that specific way that has Sherlock panting his name repeatedly, like a litany; and Sherlock knows what John likes, and he knows he’ll die happy listening to John call his name and moan softly when Sherlock turns his hips, clenches his muscles and allows John to fill him with all his warmth.

They rest as one, catching their breaths and feeling each other with every inch of their skin, legs entwined, hands on backs and legs, holding close, not wanting to be apart, ever. There is no other way they would have wanted to start their anniversary, and they still feel the butterflies in their stomachs with every touch and every kiss, they still blush under every look, and bit lips bashfully, feeling the intensity of the other’s gaze, and they make love again, not wanting to stop, even though their muscles ask for a rest, even if their lungs are burning and their hearts are beating faster than they should; and they make love for all the times they couldn’t or wouldn’t do it, and they forgive each other, forget every wrong doing and find sleep, finally. And Sherlock stays all night and John knows it, because when morning arrives he’s still inside his husband, waking him up with soft but intense thrusts.

Breakfast arrives promptly at eight and Sherlock feeds John strawberries with honey; and John can only manage to eat two before launching himself forward and kissing his Detective everywhere he can; and Sherlock laughs and John knows that he could die happy if he could listen Sherlock laugh for the rest of his life; and Sherlock pushes him softly and sits on top of him, and instead of kissing him, like John is expecting, he starts tickling John and John starts laughing heartily, and Sherlock knows he could die happy listening to John laugh until the day he dies.

They laugh and wrestle until the need is too much to keep their hands and bodies apart, breakfast forgotten and there is nothing left to do but kiss and touch, feel and let their bodies do what is needed; and this time, Sherlock is gentle, he touches John with tenderness, he’s careful, precise, and much like John, he knows exactly where to touch to have John repeating his name, lowly at first and then much louder, asking for release, being absolutely pliant to whatever Sherlock may ask, and his body turns into clay in Sherlock’s hands, for Sherlock to do as he pleases, and when they finally become one, John’s mind is so content that the only thing he cares about is feeling Sherlock inside of him, it doesn’t matter the hour of day, or the many things they might have planned for this particular day.  

And Sherlock takes his sweet time, and returns the favour with the same intensity, desire and love that John provided, and he loves the way John moves, and trashes about, and stays still when Sherlock turns his tongue, and his breath hitches, and he holds his breath when Sherlock nips and laps with the same abandon as he did last night, and much like Sherlock did, John is forced to beg, and he tries to hold the need for as long as possible, but his lips are disconnected from his brain, and he begs and begs until Sherlock takes pity on him and uses his fingers first, teasing him open, regaling him with that sweet torture that is having those long and elegant fingers fighting for entrance, one, two, three fingers and John begs again, begs because the need to feel Sherlock is too much to bear.

And Sherlock finally pushes in, and pauses for a long moment, feeling John around him, trying to memorise the feeling and knowing that every time it will be different, it will be wonderful, it will be the most amazing thing that has ever happened to him in his life, and he takes his time to enjoy it, to enjoy the way John’s body receives him, lets him in, and he’s too overwhelmed, and he needs time and rests his body on top of John’s, and John holds him and tells him that he’s loved, repeats how much he loves him, and Sherlock feels like laughing, crying, and he wants to stay still for ever, and John lets him, holding him close, knowing exactly how overwhelming the feeling is, but their bodies move on their own accord, and soon, John is crying Sherlock’s name, his hands clasped on Sherlock’s arse, hips thrusting madly, going deeper, but never harder, never faster, moving exactly in that sweet rhythm, almost musical, as if they were dancing, and John loves every second of it.

And finally, finally, John lets go, because Sherlock has him, and he repeats so, and John trusts, he gives his life to this man and lets go; and he can feel Sherlock’s body go stiff and then his release warming his body entirely. And John feels the world stop again, and it’s just them for another little eternity, and Sherlock settles on top of him, lungs made of fire, and tries to breathe, but he has to ask “are you okay?” And John nods and Sherlock smiles at him and kisses him slowly, softly, tenderly, and rests their foreheads together; and the world starts spinning again, because they are able to breathe again. Sherlock moves and John holds him, until they are both ready again, and they dance slowly at first, and the beats of their hearts mark the rhythm and they end up fully sated all over again, and their bodies ask for a rest, and they have to comply.         

The maid that comes with their lunch congratulates them on their honeymoon, and tells them that in a year things will be different, and they just nod and share a knowing look; the maid leaves them in their honeymoon and Sherlock finds himself filling the tub and bathing John slowly, knowing exactly what to do to make him happy; John pulls him in the tub and washes him with the same love. And they are calm, absolutely relaxed, because Bell is with her uncle and he made sure the little girl was content, he took her to the Zoo and to the Museum and he waited patiently for her parents to stop celebrating their first anniversary.

By dinner time, their butler has served them dinner, but knows that they have other things in mind besides food; he has cleaned the bathroom without them noticing because they were kissing on the terrace and he barely made it out of the room before Sherlock was crying John’s name again.


	98. Everything for Greg. November 21st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrived to Justin’s flat after waiting in traffic for what seemed like an eternity, the city was chaotic, people was running away from the streets, hiding wherever they could and Sally’s radio reported every few seconds the names of the officers fallen in duty, most of them under Greg’s division.

When they finally made it out of the room Sherlock had decided he wanted to stay at the Plaza for the next week; they’ve decided to stay in New York for Christmas and New Year; return to London for the birth of William Hamish George (after his uncle Mycroft) Holmes-Watson, do all the paperwork needed to take their new-born son out of the country and leave, once again, to stay in New York for a couple of weeks before going to Mexico.

The finally went to the Guggenheim, the Whitney and Madame Tussaud’s. Bell was more relaxed and was sleeping in her room; not that the decoration had anything to do with it; but she was the happiest girl in the world in her Eloise suite; and in her room in her home, where she had a lot of toys and had helped Daddy John decorate Mish’s room. Sherlock promised John they would go a to a museum every day of their stay, taking time to really know the city and become a bit New Yorkers; if he ever bored of being in London, New York will be second choice, and John agreed, faster than he ever thought. They were having fun, solving a few cases for the NYPD, looking for some Christmas decorations, thinking ahead already and planning…  

But as Sherlock has learned along this trip, no matter how much he plans, all things can go to hell with one phone call, and that is what happened on November 20th at two pm New York time, seven pm, London time. It was Molly, she was with Greg by the time everything had happened and following Anthea’s instructions, she called Sherlock to tell them he was needed urgently in London.

Mycroft was too shocked to even try and call his brother, and Anthea took the opportunity to compensate her poor performance and show his boss, the one and only for her, that she was absolutely worth it. As soon as a pale looking Sherlock gave the news to John; Anthea called Amanda and she told her bosses that a private plane was ready for them at La Guardia airport, that a car was waiting for them and that they shouldn’t worry about packing, that a cleaning team will be there in the morning, leaving the flat ready for the new tenants she got to rent the flat for a short period of time.

Sherlock tried to contact Mycroft, but Anthea answered the phone and he feared the worst; it couldn’t happen, not this way, not this soon, his brother had been married for less than two month and he already faced the worst moment in his life, not knowing if his husband would survive. He remembered what had happened a year ago, even before him and John celebrated a month as a married couple, and his shoulder ached, for his wound, for John, for Greg, but mostly for his brother

John remained calm, and he called Molly and asked for the stats; when she read them, John was as desperate as Sherlock to arrive to London, but the eight hours ahead were something they’ll have to endure, there was no other way to go back to England. They didn’t have enough time to prepare Bell, they simply climbed in the plane and when the little girl asked why, after telling her they’ll be staying longer in New York, John simply explained to her that Uncle Greg was in the hospital and that they had to be there for him.

The cold and hazy three in the morning London air received them; Amanda took a sleepy Bell to the Baker Street flat and ensured her parents that’s she’ll take care of the little girl; Sherlock took John’s hand in his and they walked to the black sedan that was waiting to take them to St Thomas’ A&E. Forty minutes later they were standing outside the hospital doors, Sherlock finding it hard to walk in, John having to pull him by the hand to the waiting area where a crying Molly was still shook up and Mycroft was staring at the void.

The moment Mycroft laid eyes on Sherlock he looked at his brother with desperation and a bit of anger; John approached him and held him close, he knew how much Mycroft needed a hug and he was the one that could comfort him, in spite of what might happen later

“What exactly happened?” Sherlock started pacing, fingers steepled under his chin, eyes wide open and a grim expression on his face

“We were at the lab” Molly said with a hair of voice “And he jumped in front of me” She started shaking and Sherlock hugged her, not because he felt compelled to do it, but because he needed the whole story, he wasn’t human that moment, he was a detective and needed the facts

“Tell me what happened” He repeated softly, in spite of the need to yell to the woman currently in his arms; Molly just looked up at him, knowing that Sherlock would resort to everything to get the facts; she tried to be calm but it was too hard to even think about it

“We were at the lab…” She let out a shaky breath and burrowed further in Sherlock’s arms, knowing that soon enough the detective would walk away “I was working on a body that arrived to the morgue this afternoon. It was the eighth body I received with the same characteristics and I immediately called Greg. He arrived to the lab with Sergeant Donovan and he asked her to pull the records of the other patients. I gave her the names and she went to the archive while I showed Greg what had called my attention” She looked at her hands, she could still see the blood in them

“And what was that?” Sherlock tried not to huff

“It looked like they had a heart attack, but I found a small puncture wound on the aortic arch; in each and every body, with the first two I thought it was a mistake made by the resident in charge of the resuscitation, but it seemed to precise to be a mistake, and the wound, if the patient had survived the heart attack, would have teared and the patient would have bleed to death” Molly wriggled her hands

“And?” Sherlock managed, this was taking too long…

“The next couple of bodies arrived to the morgue a few days later, three days apart from each other, I noticed the same puncture wound and told Sergeant Donovan to tell Greg as soon as he returned from his trip. I let it pass until two weeks ago I received another two bodies with the same wound and I started following Doctor Phillips’ patients” She looked for her bag and handed Sherlock all the files she had snatched from the morgue before they took Greg to the operating room “Doctor Phillips, as you see here” She showed Sherlock the doctor’s information “Has a high rate of patients with coronary diseases, even though he’s specialised in vascular surgery” her hands were shaking and Sherlock held the files, full Detective mode on

“He was making his patients ill, he was experimenting on them” Molly nodded “And before the family realised, he killed them with a pretend heart attack, but he actually used a syringe filled with air, stabbing them directly in the aortic arch, that’s why it would have teared apart if they managed to resuscitate them” Molly nodded again “Where is he?” he looked at Mycroft and he shrugged “What happened next?”

“Sergeant Donovan asked Doctor Phillips for his files and he drugged her the moment she turned her back to him. He then went to the lab and asked to talk to me alone; he had a gun and a syringe; he asked me to follow him, when Greg saw me at the door, he tried to stop him but Phillips fired first, Greg went for his gun and Phillips pointed the gun at me again and Greg jumped in front of me. It hit him on the neck and…” Molly started crying again

Sherlock turned to John and John nodded; he let go of Mycroft and went to his husband “According to Mycroft, Doctor Phillips called about a shooting and he was the first on scene; he wheeled Greg to the operating room but Molly followed him immediately and stopped him from touching Greg. As soon as Molly called Mycroft, he had Greg moved to Saint Thomas, and he has the whole hospital secured, just in case that fucker comes back. We need to keep Molly safe, because he will try to kill her again” John rubbed his face

“How is he?” Sherlock could feel his knees buckle and John held him close

“He’s still in surgery. According to Mycroft, the bullet was lodged in the carotid triangle, if I’m correct, it was something under twenty two calibre, that’s why it didn’t nick the aorta, the carotid, the jugular or the thyroid vein; or else Greg would have bled in seconds and we wouldn’t be here waiting” John sighed “He probably had a small revolver, easily concealable, for short range, that’s why he threatened Molly pointing it at her stomach. A twenty two, if lodged, can do some serious damage, because it’s small and slippery” Sherlock nodded “We might find it tossed at the bin near the morgue, but I’m sure he went back to look for it, unless Molly reported him”

“How much longer you think Graham will be in surgery?” Sherlock tried to act nonchalant but he was shaking. John knew it was because Greg was his friend, the man that had saved him so many years ago, a father, a brother, a friend, everything for Sherlock, but Sherlock needed to remain in Detective mode to find the fucker that almost killed their friend and brother in law.

“Maybe another hour” John rubbed the heels of his hands in his eyes “They might have to leave the bullet in, until they stitch up the muscles and protect the arteries and veins underneath them, and that takes quite some time if they don’t want to give Greg a stroke or paralyse his face” John explained

“I have to go, I have to find him” Sherlock was desperate to leave

“Go talk to your brother first” John tried to pull him towards Mycroft but Sherlock shook his head

“He knows I can’t stay here right now. I need to go” Sherlock shook John’s hand off his shoulder and walked to the waiting room door that led to the exit. John was about to go after him but Sherlock returned “I love you” he said and kissed John softly on the lips “I have to go” And he left. John sat next to Mycroft and comforted his brother in law the best way he could

“He has to go” Mycroft whispered and John nodded “Anthea will be there for him” Mycroft pulled his phone and sent a quick text. When Sherlock left the hospital, Anthea was there waiting for him and he accepted the ride back to Bart’s and to the morgue. As John predicted, the pistol was in the bin, and Mycroft had an entire security team deployed in the hospital looking after Phillips; Sherlock talked to the hospital administrator and he gave Sherlock all the information he needed, patient records and recent deaths; he settled at Baker Street with all the facts. The wall soon became a collage of every fact and he started pacing, thinking and processing every single input of data he got.

John called him as soon as Sherlock left the hospital to tell him that Greg was out of surgery, but Sherlock asked John to call him only after Greg woke up. It had been five hours since he left the hospital, and he had no news still. He knew Phillips will look for Molly, and so far, the hospital was the safest place for her.

_Keep her at the hospital -SH_

**Already left with Anthea, why?**

_Phillips knew she was after him, has known for a while -SH_

**Why did he wait?**

‘Why did he wait, indeed? I know these names, I know these people, I need to search his office’ Sherlock grabbed his coat and stilled for a moment, he saw one of the files of the patients and recognised Greg’s old partner, now he could answer John’s question…

_Because Lestrade was out of the country, and so was my brother. You have your gun? Don’t leave him alone -SH_

**Yes, I have my gun. I’ll stay here until you need me to stay here. I love you**

Sherlock looked at the files again and he found a few names that sounded familiar, one was a police officer he had met when he was a young lad, the first time he met Greg; this officer offered him a coffee while he waited for Mycroft, he was a nice man, a father of four and he was Greg’s partner at the time. He retired after Greg was promoted to Inspector, a few months after Sherlock met him; and with the years, he was promoted to DCI and Sherlock was glad he had left the lower ranks.

He needed to stop thinking about Lestrade; he needed to look at the facts

_Let me know when he wakes up -SH_

**Will do**

‘This other patient here, he was Greg’s trainee; he was promoted to Sergeant after Greg was promoted to DCI and he always works with him… Or worked, for what this file says here’ Sherlock was checking another file

“Donovan” he greeted “I need Greg’s files on every single one of his police mates, and I need you to take care of yourself, you might be next”

“What the hell are you talking about Holmes?” Donovan wanted to shout

“He’s targeting people in Greg’s life, he’s killed four of his police partners and now I can only assume he’ll go up and kill not only you, but his entire team, he’ll find a way, and then my brother will be next, and probably John too” Sherlock closed his eyes and thought about every single one of Greg’s relationships “I need you to find every single case related to someone named Phillips, I don’t care about the name, just the surname”

Donovan growled “Shit… Justin Phillips was green, same as me… he was killed in action, defending Greg during a burglary, I’m sure you’ll remember, it was the third case he called you in” Donovan let out a long breath “You’re in danger too, Sherlock…” Donovan’s voice wavered and Sherlock could hear her trying to hide a sniff

“Send me everything you have on the report and how everything happened. I need to find him before he acts” He huffed “And… Sally… please, be careful… and just in case, get a test done…”   

Sally almost laughed at the entire conversation, Sherlock Holmes was asking her to be careful, she was asking her to get a test done, and he was asking her to help him… the world had gone entirely mad and she was in the middle of it

“I’ll take everything to Baker, be there in an hour” She hung up and Sherlock decided to check on the other information he had. Bell was up by the time Sally arrived, Amanda took care of the girl and she was to make sure that the little girl was safe. She climbed on top of Sherlock’s lap and he held her close for a long while, reading the files Sally handed him. He was in his Mind Palace sorting information when Bell touched his face and Sherlock knew what he had to do

“We need to go to Justin Phillips’ old flat” he said suddenly startling a very focused Sally

“Why?”

“Because he’s there” Sherlock said “And because he’s planning something big”

“Something big?” And the radio Sally had, became alive with the voice of an officer, announcing a bomb threat at King’s Cross and requiring every single officer available to go to the scene

“That’s the something big; it means than Greg will be left alone at the hospital, because all of you will be at the train station” Sherlock pulled out his phone and called John

“He acted, don’t let Mycroft leave and call Anthea now, I need you to stay with Lestrade, he’ll try to kill him again today”

“Molly just arrived and Mycroft left a few minutes ago; he was called because a bomb went off at King’s Cross” And that moment Sally’s radio gave the news that the bomb had killed several police officers

“DAMN IT!” Sherlock shouted “Don’t move from Greg’s side” Sherlock growled “Please, be careful” He tried to contact Anthea but her phone was off “Anthea’s phone is off… Something happened to my brother” Sherlock huffed “Amanda, take Isabelle down and don’t leave Mrs. Hudson’s flat. I don’t care who comes and says anything. Just. Don’t. Leave!” Amanda nodded and Sherlock explained to his daughter that she was going to stay with Mamie Martha for the day, the baby giggled happy, picked a few of her toys and went down with Amanda “I need to go to Justin’s flat” Sherlock grabbed his coat and walked to the door “NOW!” He growled and Sally followed him.

They arrived to Justin’s flat after waiting in traffic for what seemed like an eternity, the city was chaotic, people was running away from the streets, hiding wherever they could and Sally’s radio reported every few seconds the names of the officers fallen in duty, most of them under Greg’s division. The moment they pulled over at Justin’s flat, the radio announced that there were bomb threats at New Scotland Yard, Bart’s and Saint Thomas. Sherlock asked Sally for a gun and she refused, she went in first and as suspected, the flat was filled with pictures of Greg, Molly, Mycroft, Sally, John, Sherlock… and Simone… Sherlock cursed under his breath… he also found pictures and information on every single member of Greg’s division, with names, addresses, ranks, and many other useful data, from blood type to family diseases

“John, how are you?” Sherlock called his husband, he was desperate to know

“Everything went Charlie Foxtrot for a while, we’re on CASEVAC, going under” John used military slang and Sherlock took the hint “Number Four’s FTR and Queenie’s RTU with NTR” Sherlock sighed in relief

“Gravedigger?”

“RTU, and so is DI two…”

“CinC’s at A” Sherlock said

 “Not anymore”

“WHAT?”

“Removed, quite forcibly, and sent to base”

“Has eyes on twoIC” Sherlock’s voice wavered

“I’ll ask CO to put a tag on twoIC and proceed on removal. Have a twenty?”

“No…” Sherlock shivered “But today was picture day”

“FUCK!” John cursed loudly “Saint Thomas?”

“Yes… eleven hundred… TOT over twenty”

“Go, find twoIC” John begged “Call someone!”  

“Donovan’s OPPO, getting the PARS” Sherlock used police slang and Donovan looked at him with wide eyes

“India, Lima, Uniform” John whispered

“India, Lima, Uniform” Sherlock repeated softly

“I’ll be on Stag” John hung up and Sherlock felt the need to run and find him, make sure he was safe, get to his daughter and to his son

“When did you…?” Sally asked, still surprised

“After ten years I had to pick something from you” Sherlock tried to smile “We have to leave” he urged Sally out “We have to go to Saint Thomas, my life depends on it” He said and Sally nodded

“Explain” Sally asked when they climbed in the PANDA

“Greg was moved, he’s no longer at Saint Thomas” His hands trembled and Sally pretended not to see “I don’t know if we’re being heard, but John used military slang, they are safe… I hope…” A cold shiver ran over Sherlock’s spine “I don’t have his new location but I know Phillips will be at Saint Thomas” Sherlock urged Sally to drive faster and she complied

“Why do you think he’ll be at Saint Thomas?” Sally tried to ask relevant questions without looking much like a muppet

“Because he’s desperate, he thought he had more time, and when he shot Greg he acted out of desperation. He wanted to kill Molly with a syringe, make it look like a heart attack, maybe even pass it as a coronary disease…” Sherlock breathed deeply and gathered the information on coronary diseases he had read on one of the many medical journals John had, he needed to take his mind off Hamish “According to his patients’ files he was working on an experiment with a new drug of his own creation to treat stress related strokes, but the results were inconclusive; he’s been working on it for almost twenty years, but everything went to shit when his son died” Sally eyed him with amusement, it was the first time she heard the genius curse “he started faking reports only to get the money to pay for the investigation, but he was no longer experimenting, he was going for the kill; he decided to work with police officers, because in your line of work, the risks of a stroke are more frequent that you think, lack of sleep, bad alimentation, stress, depression… you name it… and he started working with police officers and killing them one by one with this experimental medicine; and before anyone could notice he’ll produce a stroke or a heart attack because of an embolism and the witness will be gone…”

“And Greg fits here, how? Wasn’t it easier to kill him and be done with it?” Sally didn’t see the point on killing all of them and not getting to his target once and for all

“Because after you kill one man you are afraid, scared, you regret it, you need time to process, to understand what has happened; because you have taken a life; and that’s the moment when you establish the difference between a murderer and a man that kills because he has no other choice, for example a soldier or a police officer” Sherlock’s mind was filled with the many faces of the many men he had killed “After he killed his first victim, he probably was scared, startled even, but the need to kill was too overwhelming, he probably didn’t think about any consequences, and that’s what makes him a murderer” Sherlock explained and Sally was in awe; Sherlock was human after all, and not a freak, not at all.

“So he practiced, and waited for the biggest pray…” Sally cursed a blue streak

“Precisely. He would have waited for ever if it weren’t for Molly finding about his MO” Sherlock looked at the hospital doors and couldn’t find it in him to climb out of the PANDA

“But that doesn’t explain why he is at Saint Thomas” She was confused

“Because my son is here” He said in a whisper and Sally paled “Get back up, don’t follow me without back up… find Lestrade’s daughters and…” He opened the door “tell John… goodbye…” he climbed out of the car and walked in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie Foxtrot: Cluster Fuck, went to shit  
> CASEVAC: Casualty evacuation  
> FTR: Failed to Return (Royal Navy)  
> RTU: Returned to Unit  
> NTR: Nothing to Report  
> CinC: Commander in Chief (Bell rules their lives)  
> 2IC: Second in Command (Hamish is their other boss)  
> CO: Commanding Officer  
> TOT: Time on Target  
> Muppet: Most useless person ever trained  
> OPPO; Mate helping on an operation  
> PARS: Particulars of Occurrence  
> On Stag: On guard


	99. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson. November 25th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Specialist Registrar in the hospital noticed that the doctor’s patients all died of the same apparent disease, even though his specialisation wasn’t cardiology. Since Sherlock has been traveling to some other countries because according to him “the criminal class in England is slackening more often, that every crime could be solved by the idiots at the Yard” (Sorry about that), and he needed to find better challenges; and the DCI was out of the country for almost a month; the Specialist Registrar had to wait on their return to point to them the findings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. I already got my masters' degree, they just confirmend it this afternoon! Yey!!!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, for the kudos and the comments. I love you all my dear readers!

**Doctor Death**

I seriously thought that my vacation in New York will be longer than ten days. We solved the smugglers case by the end of the month, and in a rare case of generosity, Sherlock’s brother invited me and my daughter to stay in New York for a couple more days. I must say I had the chance to rest for a while, I am glad I did because the news I received the moment I hit the tarmac in London, were the most disturbing ever.

The DCI, the one in charge of most our cases, was shot and Sherlock, being Sherlock; went after the shooter immediately. Call it interest in having a helping hand at the Yard, or as he says it, having the DCI already trained not to disturb his thought process; Sherlock was intent on finding the man that shot the Detective.

The leads were clear; the murderer was on the hunt for the DCI because of an incident that happened early in his career, putting in danger not only the DCI but everyone involved with him, both during the incident and along his career; which meant every single one of us, from the green he trained last week to his partner when he was a rookie.

Sherlock followed every single clue, but the murderer was moving faster than either one of us predicted. He managed to set off a bomb at King’s Cross station and killed over twenty officers, most of them belonging to the DCI division. He also threatened to blow up two hospitals, the one where he used to work and the one where the DCI was being treated; and the Yard headquarters in London. Fortunately, the Yard Bomb Disposal Personnel acted quickly and found the bomb at the Yard’s offices and were able to clear the area, there was no such luck for the hospitals, and many patients had to be moved from the primacies to other hospitals; in the end, the bombs affected several rooms, injured several doctors, but none was killed.

Sherlock deduced the bombs were homemade, including the one at the Yard, more likely to fail and not be set off, unless they were activated manually.  A mistake had the murderer trapped at the hospital and Sherlock went after him; he managed to remain unharmed during the explosion and found the murdered in the room of the DCI: The DCI had been removed from the hospital the moment they heard about the bomb threat and was sent to an undisclosed location; nevertheless; the murderer wanted to finish him, and one way to find the DCI was to lure Sherlock to the hospital threatening many lives.

Sherlock knew he might not leave Saint Thomas in one piece, and he started a long negotiation with the murderer; he had locked a few people on a room and was negotiating their lives if he was told where the DCI was taken; Sherlock talked to him for hours, trying to convince him to end the hostage situation; he had to negotiate with the man because he refused to talk to anyone else, and he threated to kill all the hostages at once of Sherlock left.

Sherlock tried to convince him for hours not to kill the hostages and to let them go; if not all at the same time, at least one by one, starting with a young pregnant woman, but the murderer refused, he said he would kill one hostage every hour until he was told where the DCI was.

Sherlock told him that the SCO19 had arrived to the building and that it was best for him to let all the hostages go, he even offered to become the only hostage and try to take him to the DCI, but the murderer refused and shot the first hostage, throwing the body out a window and threatening on blowing up the entire building if he so much as heard anyone else but Sherlock.

The hospital staff moved to help the man, but it was too late, he bleed to death because the bullet hit the subclavian artery, and the fall broke several bones, including his upper left intercostal, puncturing a lung and producing a severe decompression pneumothorax. Sherlock convinced him not to kill the remaining hostages, he promised to help him leave the hospital, and even take him to the DCI, but the murderer offered a young boy in exchange for some food and other supplies he needed.

He was injured during the explosion and he needed medical supplies, as soon as the kid was out, Sherlock handed him a medical kit; and tried to get another hostage in exchange of the food and water, but all he got was another hostage shot, it had been another hour and Sherlock couldn’t provide him with information about the whereabouts of the DCI.

Twelve excruciating hours passed this way, Sherlock trying to prevent more deaths, the man relenting slightly with every passing hour, facing the fact that if he had to wait any longer he wouldn’t have hostages to negotiate. In the meantime, I was in charge of the DCI and at some point I had to perform surgery; it was the first time since I got shot at war, and I surprised the entire medical staff and myself because my hand didn’t tremble at all while operating on the DCI. Suffice to say that everything went smoothly and he’ll make a full recovery. The instant he opened his eyes he asked for Sherlock and we told him about the hostage situation, that it had been almost twelve hours since everything started and that he had at least ten more hostages, that Sherlock had managed to negotiate their lives by giving him the supplies he needed hourly, distracting him successfully and trying to find a way to take the rest of the hostages without harm.

With clearance to disclose the DCI’s location, Sherlock avoided having to negotiate another life. He ensured the murderer that he will be taken to the DCI’s location, but the man didn’t fall for it and promised to set off the bomb another bomb in another hospital if the DCI wasn’t delivered to him in the next hour. Sherlock tried to get the information about the other hospital, but all he received was another body. The entire medical staff of London, with the help of the police and the military evacuated half the hospitals before another bomb went off.

Thankfully, the hospital was half empty, only the Bomb Disposal Personnel was in the building, and they managed to leave in time, before one of the operating rooms exploded, the Fire Brigade controlled the fire immediately, preventing an even major situation, with all the oxygen in the hospital. The murderer knew perfectly were to locate each bomb, and the Bomb Disposal Personnel explored each oxygen supply room in each hospital. They found four more bombs, in four different hospitals, all with A&E’s and the possibility of receiving the DCI.

After five more hours, one of the hostages asked to talk to Sherlock; she was being threatened constantly, because she was pregnant, and the stress of the long hours, paired with the constant threats, had taken a toll on her. Sherlock offered to stay in her place but the murderer refused once more, and threatened to kill her next if she wouldn’t stop complaining.

The situation extended for four more excruciating hours, the Police, the SCO19, and the Bomb Disposal Personnel found a way in the room, and asked Sherlock to distract the murderer for twenty more minutes until they could infiltrate in the room and take the hostages one by one. Sherlock asked for the pregnant woman to be removed first, but when the SCO19 member in charge of the operation told him that she was sitting next to him, with the gun on her head, Sherlock knew he’ll have to use a different approach.

For twenty minutes he had the man distracted, they managed to infiltrate the room and take the remaining hostages; Sherlock asked to go in, to distract the man further and try to get the pregnant woman out safely, but the team leader of the SCO19 refused to let him in; they’ll be the first’s in, and they will take the hostage by for, it had been over sixteen hours since everything started, and they needed to remove the hostages forcibly. The negotiations had work so far, but it was time to take the people out; in spite of the threats against the pregnant woman. Sherlock tried to explain to them that it wasn’t just a life, as they put it, but two, and that they needed to be as careful as possible at the moment of retrieving the hostage, they needed to keep both alive.  

The murderer was nervous, he wanted to talk to the DCI and Sherlock offered to call him if he let go the hostages; the man refused again, but allowed Sherlock to get in the room where he was; Sherlock described the room, the hostage situation and the SCO19 team was able to remove one by one without being noticed. Sherlock would distract the murderer and when he was alone with him he would act, using his deduction skill to startle him enough to let go of the gun and of the pregnant woman.

The SCO19 strategy worked and they rescued the remaining ten hostages, taking them out through a storage closet, and they let Sherlock work his magic; he started deducing left and right and read the man’s history with one look over. He was a Doctor with more than twenty years of experience, a surgeon, he was divorced and his wife left him eight years ago after a family tragedy. Said family tragedy turned him into a killing machine. After his first victim, eight years ago he felt powerful, and since no one has found about his first killing he continued to kill, one person every month or so, but after his wife remarried he started killing more often.

His first kill was the DCI’s old partner, recently retired after the DCI was appointed; according to the murderer, the officer was supposed to be at the scene instead of his son, and the bullets should have killed him and the DCI instead of his son. His second victim was another officer from the DCI division; shortly after his son’s death he became a police doctor and found his targets easily; he would call them for the annual physical check-up and would tell them about this new treatment to treat stress induced strokes. The treatment of course was a sham, but he would experiment on the police officers, and would kill them when the supposed treatment failed.

He was waiting for his chance to attend the DCI, he had waited for eight years and he was supposed to have his chance by the end of September; unfortunately for him, the DCI was out of the country on official business and his opportunity got delayed another year. At the same time, with his need to kill the DCI, the urge to kill increased and he started murdering other patients, not only police officers, but anyone that came to his office and asked for a stroke treatment.

The Specialist Registrar in the hospital noticed that the doctor’s patients all died of the same apparent disease, even though his specialisation wasn’t cardiology. Since Sherlock has been traveling to some other countries because according to him “the criminal class in England is slackening more often, that every crime could be solved by the idiots at the Yard” (Sorry about that), and he needed to find better challenges; and the DCI was out of the country for almost a month; the Specialist Registrar had to wait on their return to point to them the findings.

The day the DCI returned, he went directly to the Morgue, he was studying the files when the doctor appeared and threatened to kill the Registrar, shooting the DCI. Sherlock found out about it a few hours later and worked on the case until the end, until he saved eleven lives, even though he berates himself, even though he believes he could have saved twelve.

The young pregnant woman became a negotiation token between Sherlock and the murderer; Sherlock even offered to help him out of the building with him as his hostage if he let the young woman go, but the man was set on killing both. The young woman tried to run away when Sherlock finally distracted the murderer but he shot her in the back. It all happened in a haze; Sherlock was standing in front of the murderer when he was taken down by several men from the SCO19 and he didn’t realise that a couple of doctor were checking on him and on the young woman.

Sherlock tried to go to her, but for once he was in shock; he tried to help as best as he could, and he asked to know if she and the baby were okay; he needed to know if she was alive. The doctors wheeled her out of the room, but she was declared dead after two hours; as for the baby, her family hopes her body can keep him for another couple of months


	100. Hamish, the boy that came early. December 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s going to be a quiet one” John whispered and Sherlock nodded “And as I can see, he’s going to compete with Bell to be in your arms” He tried a smile. Sherlock was stunned silent, the baby in his arms looked so beautiful; it was John’s wish come true, his curly hair was slightly auburn, just like Sherlock’s was when he was born; darker than Mycroft’s clearer than Sherlock’s, and for the looks of it, he’ll have Sherlock’s eyes; his mouth was a little bow and his nose was John’s, it was the only thing he got from John, because he was long and lithe like Sherlock, his little fingers long and thin, just like Sherlock’s. His feet looked just like John’s, and also his slightly chubby cheeks, not as sharp as Sherlock’s

“NO!” Sherlock shouted when he heard the shot, he tried to stand between Phillips and Simone but it was too late. Phillips fired and she fell on her knees, a shot to her neck. The entire SCO19 team subdued Phillips, and some nurses and doctors came to tend on Sherlock and Simone.

He was so in shook he didn’t see John walking to him, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t think, and he fell to the floor, an absolute mess, the moment John touched his arm.

“Sherlock!” John tried to snap him out, but the Detective was too far gone; he had tried for over sixteen hours to save Simone and his son, Phillips knew about Hamish, and he had threatened several times to kill them both; Sherlock had managed to calm him using his best deductive skills, but in the end it was useless, he had lost in a few seconds one of the most wonderful things that had happened to him in his life. A sob escaped his mouth and John held him close.

The Detective was exhausted, he hadn’t slept for almost three days now and all he wanted to know was if she was alive “Is she alive?” his voice was broken, tears streaming down his face “Is she alive?” he asked again and tried to stand but his legs failed him and he fell again, John’s arms there to hold him and ground him

“Sherlock” John tried again “Love, please” He lifted Sherlock’s head and held it in his arms “Love?” John looked at Sherlock but he was too far gone. They wheeled him out of the room and John followed, asking for an update on the Simone’s

“She’s a goner, doc” One of the nurses said and John felt his heart drop to his feet

“She died?” He closed his eyes, not wanting to hear it

“Not yet, but she asked to keep the baby inside her until it was time to deliver” The nurse patted John’s arm “She said that it was the most important baby in the world and that we needed to keep him alive” The nurse tried to smile “Bullet’s lodged between C two and C three, and now she can’t breathe on her own. We hope we can do something, but the injury’s too extensive… Sorry doc” The nurse walked away

John felt his world shatter, they wanted Hamish so much. He remembered the love he had seen in Sherlock’s eyes when he painted the ships in Hamish’s room both in Baker and the Fifth; he could remember Sherlock’s eyes when he walked by Hamish room in Pau, and the way his eyes lit up when he decided to turn the office in Vienna into a baby room. He walked with a heavy heart to Sherlock’s room and had no idea what to tell his desperate husband when he asked about their son

“Is she alive?” Sherlock asked again and John rubbed his face “John…” Sherlock tried to get off the bed but his body wasn’t his at the moment

“She’s alive…” John closed his eyes and took a deep breath “Barely”

“Hamish?” It was more a sob than a word

“Don’t know…” John shook his head and had to find a chair before his knees gave up; he covered his face with his hands and started crying.

“John…” John looked up and saw his husband at his most vulnerable; he gathered all the strength he had left in his body and walked to the bed; Sherlock opened his arms and they both rested in the small bed together, crying their eyes out silently.

Several hours passed, Sherlock was released from hospital and he called Mycroft, they needed his help to get Hamish, it was legally their son, but Simone’s family could decide over both. In his distress; Mycroft arrived to the hospital and with one look, he knew that his brother was feeling guilty for what had happened, for Greg, for Simone, for everything…

“You did everything” Mycroft looked at his brother and didn’t fight the urge to hold him, Sherlock returned the hug and cried again, he had never felt such love, he didn’t even knew the little baby but he was already head over heel for him, to the point that he was willing to give his life in exchange for Hamish’s “John…” Mycroft took a deep breath and kept on holding Sherlock

John shook his head “Just get me my baby and we’re even” He said and Mycroft nodded

“I’ll be right back, Lockie” he whispered in Sherlock’s ear and handed the sobbing mess to John

Mycroft talked to the doctor and asked about Simone’s health, they should do, form terminating the pregnancy, to deliver the baby, how much longer they might need to take the baby out or if it was viable at this stage of the pregnancy. The doctor explained to him that if they delivered the baby now, he’ll have a ninety percent rate of survival, but that it was better to keep the mother alive for at least another three weeks.

“Is it viable?” Mycroft asked

“Yes” The doctor nodded “She can’t breathe on her own, so she’s connected to a machine, but her heart is beating on its own and she has regained consciousness, unfortunately we don’t know how many nerves were actually damaged and for how long she would stay awake; at some point a clot may form and she could die in seconds, and after that I’m not certain of the viability of the product because we’ll have less that sixty seconds to deliver it” The doctor explained

“That’s my brother’s son” Mycroft explained and the doctor widened his eyes

“I had no idea, Mister Holmes” The doctor blushed “I’m so sorry… I thought you were asking out of concern…” the doctor took a deep breath “We’ve contacted her family, and the final decision will be theirs, unless you have any documents signed by her, giving the child to your brother and asking to take every measure possible to keep him alive in case of these eventualities”

“We do have those documents” Mycroft sighed in relief “How long do you reckon we might have to wait?”

“If she resists long enough, we could deliver at full term, but with the damage produced by the bullet, maybe four more weeks”

“Thirty five weeks…” Mycroft rubbed his face “Is it viable?”

“It’s risky, but the baby will be healthy and would have a better chance at surviving any infection, in case there’s one” The doctor shrugged noncommittally “Though… that’s another thing, with the mother stationary for so long, it might be dangerous for the baby, because we’ll be controlling most of her bodily functions at some point; she won’s be able to move, much less to speak and say if something is bothering her; and in a hospital, the risk of pneumonia and other infectious diseases increases exponentially” He frowned

“Have you talked to the family yet, or you just called them?”

“I called them the minute I left the theatre. They might arrive in a few more minutes, they live in Liverpool”

Mycroft nodded “Thank you, doctor” He shook the man’s hand and went back to his brother

“She’s awake” John said “She wants to see us” Mycroft signalled with his head for them to go, they could talk later

Simone looked pale, she had lost a lot of blood and she couldn’t move, the damage had left her quadriplegic, and the only way she could breathe was through a tube in her throat. John read her chart, she had lost control even of her most basic bodily functions and it was just a matter of time before her systems started shutting down; the pregnancy making it harder for her to keep her body warm, her body will soon react and would try to expel the baby in order to keep on functioning and she would probably fall on a sort of hibernating state and eventually a deep coma

“I’m sorry” Sherlock took her hand but she couldn’t feel. She blinked a couple of times and Sherlock looked at her “I tried” He broke and kneeled beside her “I’m so sorry” She rolled her eyes and John smiled at her

“Love” John helped Sherlock up “It’s fine” He said and made him look at her “Deduce, love” And Sherlock read her; her eyes said everything, she knew everything could have gone even worst “The baby is fine” John said and Simone blinked a couple more times, trying to clear the tears. Sherlock helped her and kissed her forehead

“What do you want us to do?” He asked “Blink once if you want us to deliver the baby now, or twice if you want to wait” Simone blinked twice and Sherlock smiled at her “Your mum and dad will be here soon” Simone smiled “Do they know about the baby? Once for yes and two for no” She blinked once and Sherlock relaxed visibly “My brother had you sign some papers” One blink “Are we able to decide about your medical care in case of emergency?” One blink “Does your family know you’re a surrogate” Two blinks “Who do they think the baby belongs too?” Of course she couldn’t answer.

At that moment her mother came into the room and looked at them and smiled warmly at Sherlock “Thank God you’re here” She hugged him and Sherlock didn’t know how to react “What happened? They said you two were in an accident” She kept talking and hugging and Sherlock just patted her back, unable to speak and he saw Simone and she was blushing and looked at him apologetically “How’s our baby? How’s little William?” She asked. Sherlock looked at John and he just shrugged, he was as befuddled as his husband “Are you the doctor?” She turned to John “How is my little girl?” She asked

“Yes” John cleared his throat and tried to understand “Doctor Watson” John shook her hand “I’m…” Simone looked at him, begging not to burst her bubble “I’m here to check on her and her… boyfriend?” He looked at Sherlock and Sherlock scowled

“I’m telling her” Sherlock whispered in Simone’s ear and looked at her, the girl blinked once and allowed the tears to fall silently “Excuse me, Mrs. Roberts”

“Linda, please” She looked at Sherlock “No need for formalities, William. We’re practically family” She patted his cheek and Sherlock sighed when she hugged him again “John…” He bit his lip   

“Linda?” She looked at John “I think you better sit down” He helped her to a chair and she looked at him worriedly “My name is John Watson” He looked at the expectant woman “And I am…” he started and she stood

“Of course” She jumped from the chair “I knew I’ve seen you both somewhere… We have a picture of William and Simone” Sherlock shrugged and made his -I don’t know-face “And I knew him somehow…” She looked at Sherlock again “You’re the detective…” She gasped “And you’re the doctor” She looked at John

“Yes” John licked his lips, his throat suddenly dry “The Detective and the Doctor” He nodded and helped Linda sit again “And we’re here because…”

“Simone is having our baby” Sherlock blurted out and pursed his lips tightly, closing his eyes

“Yes, your baby” Linda quirked a brow and looked at him as if he just stated the most obvious and moronic thing

“Not our baby, as in mine and Simone’s” Sherlock looked at Linda and then at Simone and she blinked once “Our baby as in mine and John’s” he bit his lower lip

“What?” Linda closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall, the world suddenly spinning too fast for her

“Linda” John sat next to her “We hired your daughter to have our son” John explained as softly as he could, using his best Doctor mode “We had no idea you didn’t know” He put a hand on her shoulder and the woman sagged “We’re very sorry” He patted her shoulder “My husband and I are very sorry” She looked up

“You’re married?” She grabbed her head and shook it “Oh God…” She stood and went to her daughter’s side “Why?” And Simone closed her eyes “How long?”

“Excuse me?” John was confused

“How long have you been married?” She was carding her fingers on Simone’s hair

“A year” Sherlock approached the bed and caressed Simone’s cheek and the girl closed her eyes again

“And together?”

“Three years” John was standing next to Sherlock, holding his hand

“What happened?” Sherlock told her the entire story and Linda was thankful to him for being there “And what will happen?” She was looking at her baby girl with concern and love in her eyes

“We have to wait and see” John answered “But…” He shook his head

“My brother has a hotel room ready for you and your family” Sherlock was checking his phone “You also have a driver at your disposal and everything has been taken care of” He too was looking at Simone “This is my number” He handed Linda a card “Call me any hour, day or night, and we’ll provide you with anything you need” He pulled John and left the room, giving Linda time to be with her daughter and process what was happening

Three weeks later, later than actually predicted, Simone’s body stopped functioning, the lack of oxygen, the problems with her nerves and spine forced the doctors to induce coma; Sherlock and John had the rights over any medical procedure to be performed on her body to save their son, and they choose to keep her alive until her heart gave up on its own

Two weeks later, at thirty five weeks, and after his mother’s heart finally gave up; William Hamish George Watson-Holmes was born at seven pm on December twenty second, weighing five pounds and three ounces, he was a long baby, nineteen inches; but he still fitted perfectly in Sherlock’s arm, his head in his hand, and his entire body on his forearm.

They both were there when Hamish was born, Sherlock held him first and John cut the cord. They imagined the birth entirely different, both of them helping Simone, being there for her, by her side; and receiving Hamish at full term. They didn’t imagine something as grim as the picture in front of them. A young woman cut in half, unmoving, and their baby being yanked out of her in less than sixty seconds.

Hamish didn’t cry, he settled in Sherlock’s arms and sighed, a bit sadly. John put a finger in his mouth and the baby suckled, relaxing further in Sherlock’s arms

“He’s going to be a quiet one” John whispered and Sherlock nodded “And as I can see, he’s going to compete with Bell to be in your arms” He tried a smile. Sherlock was stunned silent, the baby in his arms looked so beautiful; it was John’s wish come true, his curly hair was slightly auburn, just like Sherlock’s was when he was born; darker than Mycroft’s clearer than Sherlock’s, and for the looks of it, he’ll have Sherlock’s eyes; his mouth was a little bow and his nose was John’s, it was the only thing he got from John, because he was long and lithe like Sherlock, his little fingers long and thin, just like Sherlock’s. His feet looked just like John’s, and also his slightly chubby cheeks, not as sharp as Sherlock’s

They left the operating theatre and the entire family was waiting for them, Mamie was the first to hold Hamish and the baby fussed about until she returned him to Sherlock and the boy settled happily, he tried to hand him to Siger and for the first time, Hamish cried and Sherlock was forced to keep him as close to his chest as he could

Bell wanted to meet her baby bother, and wanted Sherlock to carry her. John helped her up and Sherlock held her, she looked at Hamish with wondering eyes, mesmerised at the sight “Hi, Mish” She whispered and grabbed his little hand “Just like Daddy!” She smiled at Sherlock “I love you, Mish” She leaned closer and kissed his little stomach, the baby squirmed a little and huffed softly, burrowing closer in Sherlock’s arms. Sherlock was still stunned silent, watching his daughter interact with his son, thinking about the day he met John and how his life had changed to such extent, and instead of panicking, the same way it happened when they received Bell; he felt utterly calm, holding little Hamish in his arms, and for once in his life, the need to run and hide was completely overwhelmed by the love he had for his son

“John” Sherlock looked at his husband, locking gazes “We made him” He sobbed, and John hugged him, holding Bell and Hamish between them

“I love you” John whispered and kissed Sherlock tenderly

“I love you” Sherlock answered and rested his forehead against John’s

“Can we go home?” John asked and Mycroft nodded, he had taken care of everything; the moment Hamish was born, he called the Roberts and told them that the baby had arrived. Linda wanted to hold Hamish but the baby cried every single time his father handed him to anyone that wasn’t John, and even half the times he tried to hand him to John, the baby would cry

That night, their first night as a family of four in Baker Street, Hamish was resting on Sherlock’s chest, Bell was on his stomach and John had to rest his head on Sherlock’s shoulder. In truth, he was an excellent pillow, and their children knew it. In order to get Hamish from his arms, so he could rest properly; John had to wear one of Sherlock’s used shirts, and the baby settled happily on top of him, that way his husband was able to take a shower, have some tea and help John prepare Hamish’s bottles   


	101. Reasons for Sherlock to hate Christmas. December 24th to December 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Managing?” Mycroft rubbed his face “I suddenly became the father of three young women, and as you might have heard last night, they yelled until past midnight because they didn’t want to share a room, making our guests feel uncomfortable. And Greg just lets them…” He huffed “I get that he almost died, but he didn’t, and he hasn’t even thanked John for what he did… He’s been rather irritable; he snaps at me every chance he gets, and sometimes he blames me for what happened; he said I left him alone; as if he couldn’t remember I was there the entire time; the only time I left was to check on you and my nephew”

The day after Hamish’s birth, John decided that it would be best to spend Christmas away from London and stay in Sussex for a while. Greg was recovering perfectly, and being away from London was doing marvels to his health. Sherlock agreed, he wanted to leave London and forget about everything that had happened the last month; he needed a rest after the long nights at the hospital, both with Greg and Simone

They arrived to their home in Sussex and Mycroft was there with their entire family; Siger, Violet, Greg, and even Mamie. Harry and Clara promised to arrive later on the day, and true to her promise, she arrived before night fall. Greg looked great, and he got to meet, finally, the little peanut. Hamish cried the moment his father handed him to Greg, and John had to hold him until Sherlock returned from the loo. The baby calmed slightly, John was wearing Sherlock’s shirt

“Have you slept at all?” Greg looked at his young friend and Sherlock shook his head, stifling a yawn “My youngest was like that” He chuckled, but after two days she completely forgot about me, Mummy had the milk “He tried to make a joke but Mycroft glared at him and Greg simply patted Sherlock’s knee.

John handed Hamish to Sherlock and went to their room to make sure the cot was ready with one of Sherlock’s shirt; it was the only way they had found to make Hamish sleep that morning before their trip. He checked Bell’s room and took his sweet time getting to know his house; he had heard of the estate but he was sure they were exaggerating; but now that he was there, the description fell short against the reality. Three houses, the same size, all connected somehow by a huge garden that looked more like part of the woods that surrounded the entire estate.

Their house was in the middle, between the other two, and John could have sworn that the house to his left looked exactly like Mycroft, and he assumed, finding later on that he was correct, that the other house belonged to Sherrinford. John had no idea when Sherlock had the house made just for them; exactly the way John liked it; modern enough to have a comfortable kitchen, cosy enough to have a small library, just for the two of them, with chairs that looked exactly like the ones at Baker, and a fire place that kept the room warm; a bathroom with a bathtub for the two of them, and three more room; one for Bell, one for Hamish; and one for their guests. John didn’t even know when the cot was brought, he had just decided to come to Sussex this morning; but then again, his husband was the brother of the British Government.

He went back down to find the most wonderful sight in front of him; Sherlock was lying on the couch, Bell in his right arm, Hamish on his chest, the three of them in deep sleep. He ran back upstairs and got his camera, he was intent on keeping every image possible of them, and this was just perfect. He was grateful to whoever got everyone out and allowed the Detective a moment alone to rest with his two kids. John was right; Sherlock would be in big trouble if he tried to get either of his kids away from his arms…  

John moved around the house silently, he turned the kettle on; he was in dire need of some tea and knew that as soon as they would wake up, Bell will demand her afternoon snack, Hamish his bottle and Sherlock his cuppa. As predicted, Bell called for Daddy John, and he got her from Sherlock’s arms, leaving his two boys to sleep a few more minutes. Bell asked for her snack and chatted happily with her father for a long while before Sherlock appeared in the kitchen door, a sleepy, tired face and a moving Hamish

“Tea?” John offered and Sherlock nodded “Here” He tried to grab Hamish but the little boy started squealing, crying his lungs out, Sherlock just sighed, he had become Hamish’s bed

“I’m tired” The Detective yawned, a very rare occurrence, especially if it had happened twice in one day

“I tried to get him but he starts crying and screaming if I take him away from you” John chuckled

“I know…” Sherlock let out a log breath “And you said he’ll be a quiet one…” He rubbed his face with his free hand “Let’s hope he sleeps tonight… Is the cot in our bedroom?” John nodded “You put the shirt?” John nodded again and smiled, His husband looked all rumpled up, his hair was a mess, he even had a bit of a scruff; but for John he looked… delicious…

“Mum and Dad are to the right with Mamie and Mrs. H” John informed “Myc, Greg, Molly, Tobias and Sally are on the left…” He took another sip of his tea “Harry texted, they’ll be arriving in about an hour… they’ll be staying with Mum and Dad”

“And?” Sherlock looked at his husband knowing the worst was coming

“Christmas dinner will be here…” John rolled his eyes “Mum just texted, and said that we are to be the gracious hosts of Christmas dinner, Greg and Mycroft have Christmas breakfast and your parents will be hosting Boxing Day”

“I hate Christmas…” Sherlock shook his head and John glared at him “I hate Christmas with the entire family, John” Sherlock corrected after the ice cold look in John’s eyes made him squirm “I much rather spent the night with you, watching Bell open presents, putting her to her own bed… get Hamish to sleep in his own cot… and have you holding me… just the two of us, alone… in our bed… that’ll be the best Christmas present…” Sherlock sighed; he hadn’t been this tired ever

“I know love…” John stood from his chair and went to hug his husband from the back, watchful of Hamish “He’ll be needing a bottle really soon” He kissed Sherlock’s shoulder and moved to prepare the baby formula

“And a change” Sherlock rubbed Hamish’s back and the baby sighed contently “I’m going to try something” Sherlock handed John the baby and he cried until his father returned wearing one of John’s jumpers. Sherlock held him again and Hamish cried until Sherlock put him near his neck “That’s one failed experiment…” He scratched his head with his free hand

“I told you…” John shook his head and laughed heartily “Let’s hope that he’ll get used to be away from you in a few days” John laughed harder, Sherlock had that annoyed, yet content face

“How is it that women manage?” He asked and John shrugged, laughing even harder this time “I’m serious, John” He frowned

“I know love” John kissed him and handed him the bottle “Sorry…” He couldn’t stop smirking

“I’ll try to put him in the buggy, maybe my dressing gown could help if I wrap him in it”

“Maybe… I’ll go get it” John gave him another kiss

The trick worked and Hamish burrowed in the dressing gown, staying quiet, but wide awake for a while; his father’s dressing gown working perfectly, calming him. Sherlock took the chance to shower, have a proper cuppa and eat. He even helped John make dinner for their little family and gave Bell a bath. Hamish fell asleep rather quickly after his bottle, and Sherlock covered him with his dressing gown, he played the violin for the baby too and for the first time in two days, he could hug John properly, kiss him the way he needed and hold him until he fell asleep.

Hamish woke them up four times, but being wrapped in his father’s dressing gown actually helped, John was able to feed him and change him twice and he stayed in his cot all night. All wrapped up in Sherlock’s dressing gown, the entire family was able to hold the little baby for the first time after he was born; he fussed a little when Harry held him, but settled contently when he felt Sherlock’s hand on his little back. After everyone had a round, Sherlock settled him in his buggy, all wrapped up in his gown and went to get his bottle

Harry picked the baby and held him, happy that he didn’t cry, and slowly removed the gown but Hamish squirmed “He’s feisty” Harry chuckled when Hamish tried to get away from her after she removed the gown, crying as loudly as possible “He doesn’t like me” She frowned

“He doesn’t like anybody but Sherlock” Clara smiled at Harry while she played with Bell’s hair “No one can hold him but Sherlock… I’ll show you” And Clara held Hamish and the baby squealed, until his father came and took him away. The effect was immediate, as soon as he felt Sherlock’s hands on his back, he stopped crying

“It’s okay” Sherlock whispered and soothed his distressed son “Papa’s here” He kissed his little head and rubbed his back “I’m right here, love” He walked away to the kitchen holding little Bell’s hand in his and he approached John “I want everyone to leave” He huffed

“Why? What happened?” John left what he was doing and went to his husband’s side

“Because they keep making him cry” Sherlock held Hamish closer and the baby sighed contently

“But he was in his buggy” John frowned “Who took him out?” John needn’t to ask, he knew Harry probably picked the baby up and took the dressing gown away

“Never mind who…” Sherlock huffed again “I want everyone to leave”

“Why don’t we go for a ride?” John rubbed Sherlock’s back. They had to make dinner, but he wasn’t in to it, he decided to leave the cooking to Mamie’s staff “I’ll get Bell’s coat and wellies, and we can put Hamish that pram we bought in New York” He kissed Sherlock’s shoulder. Sherlock nodded and walked behind his husband. They dressed them quickly and left, Mycroft nodded at them and before they knew it, one of Mycroft’s minions handed them their car keys and they left, just the four of them, to explore a bit more the snowy Sussex landscape

Bell played in the snow, minding her little brother and her busy parents; she too was glad to be away from the family; every time she passed by anyone’s side they would pet her, play with her hair, never leave her be with her parents. Sure, she loved all her Mamies, Violet, Isabelle and Martha; and Auntie Molly was lovely; she loved her uncle Myc and uncle Greg, but she couldn’t climb on top of him and play horsey because he was in a wheelchair. She loved Papa; he looked just like Daddy and he was quiet and wouldn’t pet her all the time… But Aunt Harry… she was loud, she would make Mish cry… Aunt Clara wasn’t so bad, she loved the way she carded her fingers in her hair, almost like Daddy John, softly. Uncle Mike and Uncle James were nice too, but she didn’t know them that much, as for Anderson, Donovan, Tobias, Uncle Bill and Wiggins… well… she still was processing the data…

“Daddy John?”

“Yes beautiful?”

“Can we have hot chocle?”

“Hot chocolate” John corrected her softly “As soon as we go back home” He picked her up and kissed her forehead

They walked for about an hour; each holding a kid and holding hands. When it started snowing; Sherlock held John close and walked him back to their car. Hamish was sleeping, so it was easier to put him in his car seat and they drove back home. The smell that received them was heavenly; Mamie had outdone herself. The table was beautiful and the food looked delicious, but they couldn’t care less. Sherlock carried Hamish back inside and settled with him next to the fire; John following him closely and holding Bell. John fetched some hot chocolate for them and sat next to his husband and children. He carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair, while he carded his own fingers on Bell’s hair. Hamish was on top of him, with his father’s had wrapped around him. They stayed by the fire, undisturbed until Mamie called them for dinner.

They went reluctantly, they’d been with their family the entire day, first breakfast, then lunch and now dinner; all they wanted was to be alone for a little while; and when they had planned their night; Mike and his wife, James, Bill and Wiggins arrived. Mycroft just gave a glance over to his brother and offered everyone, from Molly to Anderson a room at the inn closest to their home. Sherlock looked at his brother gratefully and saw his own desperation and annoyance in his brother’s eyes. He glanced at Mycroft briefly and they both left the table. John made sure Hamish was asleep and eyed his husband, giving a small nod

“How’s Greg managing?” Sherlock asked, playing with Hamish’s bottle

“Managing?” Mycroft rubbed his face “I suddenly became the father of three young women, and as you might have heard last night, they yelled until past midnight because they didn’t want to share a room, making our guests feel uncomfortable. And Greg just lets them…” He huffed “I get that he almost died, but he didn’t, and he hasn’t even thanked John for what he did… He’s been rather irritable; he snaps at me every chance he gets, and sometimes he blames me for what happened; he said I left him alone; as if he couldn’t remember I was there the entire time; the only time I left was to check on you and my nephew”

“I’m sorry…” Sherlock looked down

“It wasn’t your fault” Mycroft sighed “He’s been like that since before the wedding… I don’t think he wanted to marry me…” Mycroft scratched his neck

“What do you mean? He was fine in Greece, and I know he did want to propose… He looked really happy…” Sherlock tried to remember every gesture from Greg that might support Mycroft’s suspicion

“Ever since Russia he’s been acting out…” Mycroft looked at his brother and for a second envied him greatly “Ever since he saw Miss Hopper with DI Gregson…”

“What?” Sherlock frowned “That can’t be… why didn’t I notice?” He tried to remember the entire trip and Lestrade in fact had a fight with Gregson. He was going to kill him; he should have said something sooner and not get his brother involved in something he didn’t want

“You were in your own bubble…” Mycroft smiled sadly “You’ve been in your own bubble ever since you met John… And I am so glad for you, little brother” He looked away and Sherlock could see tears forming in his brother’s eyes

“Everything seemed fine until Copenhagen…” Sherlock closed his eyes and steepled his fingers under his chin “And you had a fight that lasted over two hours because you went to see us…” He kept his eyes closed, remembering every gesture his brother had made “You didn’t just come to give us the news about Hamish; you could have just called us or waited for us to call and tell us…” Sherlock eyed his brother and started deducing “You had a fight and he called it off, so you left… and you lied to me saying that you wanted to get rid of Mummy but you actually didn’t want her to find out that Lestrade broke it off”

Mycroft nodded “After that talk I returned to London and he was in my home waiting for me, he said he was stressed and that he missed me and I agreed to stay… I told him we could delay the wedding, I even started thinking of ways to break off the engagement and let him go… I knew he had a thing for Miss Hopper ever since he saw her at your Christmas party” Mycroft confessed “But I accepted him when he went to my home… I’ve always liked him, ever since I met him… I was so…” He bit his lip nervously “I made a mistake… I should have kept it as it was… casual…I guess he felt obliged to commit when I told him I loved him…”

“I knew he liked Molly, but he never pursued her… He had every chance while I was gone… His divorce was through right after I left, you told me so, and he pursued you instead of her. Sherlock tried to remember, the frown growing deeper and so his anger

“I don’t know what to tell you… All I know is that I don’t think my marriage is going to last…” Mycroft covered his face with his hands “The last time we…” Mycroft pursed his lips and Sherlock nodded in understanding “Was our wedding night…” He closed his eyes “And before that it was when I returned from Copenhagen; and during our honeymoon he would always find excuses not to be with me… intimately… and then with work, it was the perfect excuse… and every other day he would tease me cruelly telling me I should call John and see if he wanted to “have a night”... and the day I called you and asked you to stay a few more days the first time he apologised but then went to a hotel and stayed there for a few days before leaving, without telling me…” Mycroft was broken and Sherlock just held him

“I’m so sorry, big brother” Sherlock rubbed his brother’s back “Is there anything I can do for you?” Mycroft shook his head and tried to regain control but his body was shaking and Sherlock just held him closer “You want to stay here tonight?” Mycroft nodded

“Love?” John was there, standing by the door, with Hamish wrapped in Sherlock’s blue dressing gown “Everything okay?” He asked and handed the baby to Sherlock. He had heard everything and he was angry at Greg

“Yes… Sorry” Sherlock startled and grabbed his son. It was time for Hamish’s bottle. He looked at John and knew he had heard everything. John shook his head and left the brothers alone

“I guess I should ask Anthea for the papers… The sooner this is over the better” Mycroft shrugged “I’m so happy for you, Sherlock. I truly am” He said to his brother and left the kitchen.

Sherlock stood there, feeding his son and pondering about every fact. He was surprised that Lestrade and Mycroft were together, and when Greg had called to tell him they were together, he knew it was after they had a huge fight because he found out about Mycroft helping him pretend to be dead for two years. He walked back to the table and glared at Lestrade, he was no longer whatever he called himself, he was the DCI that had broken his brother’s heart and he wanted him out of his home

“I’m afraid we have to cut the evening short” Sherlock said sitting back at the head of the table. Everyone looked at him curiously

“We haven’t exchanged gifts yet” John gave him the -not yet- look and Sherlock relented, taking a deep breath and nodding at his husband

“As I was saying…” He looked at John apologetically “I’m afraid we have to cut the evening short so our daughter can open her gifts before going to bed” He lied easily

They left their dinners there and Sherlock moved to the living room with his children, followed closely by John. They exchanged gifts and watched as Bell enjoyed every second of the evening. When they went to put her to bed, John looked at Sherlock and Sherlock knew he’ll have to explain himself

“I want Lestrade to go” Sherlock huffed furiously

“That’s between Greg and Mycroft, love. There is nothing we can do”

“He lied to him” Sherlock was furious and he could barely hold himself “He should have told Mycroft he was in love with Molly”

“I don’t think he’s in love with her… maybe he’s confused…” John tried

“Don’t defend him… I don’t want us to fight over Lestrade’s stupidity” Sherlock held John close and kissed him softly “I just want him to leave”

“Okay love” John grabbed Sherlock’s hand and kissed it “Let’s go. We need to find a way to help Mycroft stay here…” He pulled Sherlock for another kiss before they walked out of Bell’s room and back to the living room “She wants her uncle Myc” John lied and gave an understanding look to Mycroft

“She’s excited about the telescope you gave her and she wants to talk more about it” Sherlock followed the lie and Mycroft looked at him gratefully

“I’ll be right down” He patted Greg’s shoulder and Greg barely acknowledged him, engrossed in a conversation with Donovan     

“A word?” John glared at Greg and Greg startled, he had seen John angry; but never at him

“Sure” He nodded and looked at John questioningly

“Not here” John wheeled him to the study. Once in the room, John locked the door and assessed Greg with Sherlockian eyes “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He growled, startling Greg

“What are you talking about?” Greg shrugged

“Why are you treating Mycroft like he’s your enemy?” John tried to stay calm but he was pissed

“I’m not treating him like anything” Greg defended himself

“That’s pretty obvious” John snarled “You barely treat him at all”

“What happens between my husband and I is none of your business” Greg replied angrily

“For the way you treat him, he most certainly is not your husband…” John snarled “Why did you marry him if you’re in love with someone else?” John started pacing in the small room

“What are you talking about?” Greg huffed, his anger levels rising

“I saw you…” John shook his head and clicked his tongue “I saw you flirt with Molly”

“I wasn’t flirting” Greg blushed

“And I was born yesterday…” John snorted

“I wasn’t flirting with Molly…” Greg shook his head “It’s just that seeing her with Tobias…” Greg let out a frustrated sigh “He’s not right for her….” Greg muttered “She deserves better…”

“And by better you mean you?” John huffed

“No… It’s just…” Greg looked down

“Look” John rubbed his face “I don’t give a shit… just…” He was towering Greg, looking threatening, his hands on his hips, shaking his head

“I love Myc…” Greg whispered

“Are you sure?” John’s voice was angry and made Greg look up

“Of course I am!” His eyes were wide and honest, he seemed afraid

“You’re losing him…” John let out a long breath and relaxed his hands, he had them fisted next to his legs “He’s going to file for divorce, and you know him, he’ll get it tomorrow”

“He can’t divorce me!” Greg’s voice wavered “I can’t lose him!” He shook his head repeatedly

“Then do something… Tell him what’s going on… Follow your own advice and talk to your husband… after all, you proposed, you set the date, and you said yes to him…” John opened the door and left Greg to his own reverie.        


	102. Mycroft, Greg and a Happy New Year. December 26th January 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Scott!” Came Mamie’s voice from their kitchen  
> “I’ll be right down” Sherlock groaned “I came to look for the violin”  
> “For an hour?” Isabelle tutted  
> Sherlock dressed as fast as he could, gave John one last kiss and ran down the stairs holding his violin. John followed him shortly, holding Hamish.

Mycroft stayed the night at his brother. He saw Greg as one of his daughters pushed him to the house and the man looked defeated; Mycroft knew John had talked to him. He had asked Anthea to get him divorce papers and she had delivered them by the time Greg made it up to their room. Mycroft read them and the terms seemed fair; they haven’t been married for long; and it could be rather… painless

He stayed up all night, he read the documents twice, thrice, and he knew it was the right thing to do… If he had learnt something from his brother and his relationship with John was that even the best couples fought at the best of times; but that some fights are just too damaging, and some situations can’t be solved halfway. Sure, he could stay married for a couple more months, even a couple more years; he could also hide the situation, but he wasn’t willing to go through a loveless marriage just because he was stubborn

He made up his mind and left Sherlock’s house with the early birds. He walked for a while, enjoying the cold and accepting the facts. If he played his cards right, they’ll have a quick conversation before anyone would wake up; taking advantage of the fact that all their friends were at the inn. He’ll pack, call Anthea and leave, and they’ll be divorced the next day; he had contacts; he could even try and nullify the marriage… He was the British Government after all

He entered the house and felt his heart clench in his chest ‘Caring is not an advantage, caring is not an advantage’ he repeated all the way up the stairs and to their room. He was as quiet as possible, he didn’t want Greg’s daughters to know what was happening, they had heard them fight once and it wasn’t pleasant, they had been angry at him for weeks…. He stood there, at the door of their room and he had to muster all the strength he had left in his body to grab the knob and turn it

“I’ve been waiting for you all night…” Greg’s voice was sad and the man looked defeated

“I…” Mycroft cleared his throat “I fell asleep with Bell…” He half lied; he had stayed with Bell part of the night

“Don’t lie to me…” Greg shook his head and stood from the bed

“You shouldn’t be walking, Gregory” Mycroft rushed to help him, but Greg dismissed him and walked the few paces to the loveseat in their room

“I can move. I’ve been using the chair just because John suggested it, but I feel fine… I’m not fragile; the other doctor discharged me last week and said I should return to my old routine, the only thing he forbade me is long work hours, and the nerve therapy’s been working just fine…” Greg sighed

I’m sorry…” Mycroft looked down and closed his eyes ‘caring is not an advantage, caring is not an advantage’ “I made a mistake thinking you needed me…” He whispered. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Greg “Here…” He handed Greg the envelope “It’s pretty easy, it’ll be done by tomorrow… I’ll give you anything you ask for and I even can nullify it if that’s your wish…” He tried to breathe

“What is this…?” Greg felt his blood run cold in his veins

“I figured you and Miss Hopper might like to get… acquainted… immediately. I saw the way you looked at her when DI Gregson kissed her. You’ve never looked at me that way…” Mycroft tried to breathe, finding it harder every time he tried

“Myc…” Greg flushed; it wasn’t that he was in love with Molly, not exactly… He was in love with Mycroft

“Don’t worry, DI Lestrade” Mycroft walked to the door “You can stay here until the end of the year… we agreed on that. I don’t want to disturb your family… And your belongings will be delivered to your flat by the end of the afternoon…” He tried to keep his voice steady “I know someone that can nullify our… transaction… also by the end of the afternoon…”

“Mycroft, please” Greg tried

“I’ll stay with my brother until this family… nuisances… are over with. I’m sure he won’t care…” Mycroft was at the door, his hand on the knob “Don’t worry about your career, DI Lestrade. I’ll make sure you have a nice and long career; and I’ll also make sure my brother won’t disturb you; he’s been thinking on moving to New York either way…” He opened the door “Good day, DI Lestrade” He walked out the room, closing the door and slumping back against it. He could barely move ‘Caring is not an advantage, caring is not an advantage’ he breathed in slowly and deeply; he rested his head on the door for a second but when he tried to stand the door opened and he fell inside the room

“Are you going to listen to me now?” Greg looked at the man on the floor and offered his hand. Mycroft took it and stood, trying to regain a bit of dignity

“Is there anything to say?” Mycroft sniffed and looked away

“I’m sorry…” Greg was still holding Mycroft’s hand and he lifted it to his lips “I was wondering if… Maybe… you would like to go on a date with me…?” He blushed

“What?” Mycroft frowned

“The day I went to see you after John’s wedding; I just kissed you and took you to bed. I just realised we haven’t had a proper date…” He gave Mycroft’s hand another kiss “Mister Holmes, would you like to go on a date with me?” Greg asked again.

Mycroft was struck dumb “I don’t know what to say…” He murmured

“Yes?” Greg looked at him hopefully and Mycroft nodded “Would you like to have breakfast with me? It can be our first date” He smiled and Mycroft nodded again. Greg went to the kitchen and made breakfast for them, he returned to their room, closed the door and motioned for Mycroft to sit at the table in their room, the fire was cosy, the curtains were closed and the room looked nice with the fire as an only light. Greg helped Mycroft to his seat and he sat next, revealing breakfast

“Thank you” Mycroft whispered when Greg served him some fruit   

“My name is Gregory Lestrade” Greg started “I work for New Scotland Yard and I’m an Inspector Detective” He continued “I’m so glad I finally mustered up enough courage to ask you out. Mister Holmes. I’ve been intrigued by you since the day we met” He ate a bit of toast before he continued talking “I must admit I find you fascinating…” He smirked “But I must tell you something…” He looked down and bit his lip “There is this… Specialist Registrar at Bart’s morgue that I find slightly attractive too”

Mycroft’s breath hitched, he pushed his plate away and closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts “I see…” He said with a low voice

“But the thing is… that even though she is nice to look at… she’s not half as interesting as you are, and half as beautiful…” Greg smirked and Mycroft blushed “But I’ve been having a bit of a trouble…” Mycroft looked at him intently “I’ve been looking at this woman, not because I like her; but because I know something and I don’t know how to tell her, because her two geniuses she has as friends have been so wrapped up in their own happiness that they haven’t realised the object of her affection is cheating on her… I tried to flirt with her and see if her boyfriend did something about it but…”

Mycroft gasped “I…” He was speechless, the British Government was speechless

“I know Sherlock’s been worried about Hamish and that girl dying, and he’s not been around a lot; and I know you are worried about the world and keeping your brother safe; but you, the two of you, that can recognise a cheating man from the way he stands, which is freaky by the way, haven’t noticed he’s cheating on her…”        

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because you’ve been acting weird too…” Greg grabbed Mycroft’s hand “Ever since you told me you got a hard on with John, you’ve been avoiding me. I try to touch you and you jump. When I go to bed you pretend to be working and you leave even before I get up… Those days in New York… I wanted you so much… and you found a way to work…”

“I’m sorry, Gregory” Mycroft felt utterly guilty

“I’m sorry too…” Greg kissed his hand “I should have talked to you; I should have said something… I thought we were clear after our wedding that I wanted to be with you, but you kept me at arm’s length all the time… When you told me about John I wanted to punch you, but I realised that maybe, just maybe, it was my fault too, because I’ve been avoiding you…”

“You broke off our engagement less than two months before the wedding” Mycroft looked at Greg, letting all his emotions show in his otherwise cold eyes

“I was overwhelmed…” Greg admitted “Your mum was driving me insane and Laura gave me an ultimatum…”  

“Laura?” Mycroft had no idea what Greg’s wife could have told him

“She said that if I married you I’ll never see my girls again…” Greg sighed “I had no idea what to do, and for a moment there I made the mistake of letting you go… Then I realised I love you too much to allow a woman that cheated on me to decide what I should do with my life… I talked to my girls and they said that if I let you go… I’ll be the biggest arsehole in the world”

“But they are mad at me!” Mycroft exclaimed

“For a genius you sure are pretty dense” Greg shook his head and chuckled “They are not mad at you, love” He reached for Mycroft’s other hand “They are mad at the situation, they had a fight with their mother, Tori and Gini are living in my old flat because Laura no longer wants them at her home because they came to our wedding, and Nessa is angry at her sisters because they didn’t take her with them, that’s why they were fighting…” Greg explained and Mycroft felt utterly guilty, and immensely ignorant

“I’m so sorry, love” He stood and went to Greg’s side holding him

“It’s okay…” Greg hugged him close “I should have told you… but with everything that has happened, and the wedding planning, and work, and you traveling and everything…” Greg sighed and burrowed closer “You’re pretty dense… And you were about to divorce me because you never ask…” Greg pushed Mycroft away softly “I love you… I choose you and I want to be with you until the day I die…” He stood and hugged Mycroft

“I love you too” Mycroft smiled

“Come, love” Greg pulled Mycroft by the hand and led him out of the room “We have breakfast with our girls” He smiled “And I need to talk to John and Sherlock and tell them about Tobias”

“No” Mycroft shook his head “I will…” He gave Greg a quick kiss and went to see his brother. When he entered his brother’s house he had a strange feeling, he felt as if he was invading their home, so he went out again and knocked the door, which was a first. John opened the door; he still had sleep in his eyes, but greeted him with a big smile

“Hey Myc” John greeted “Everything alright?” He asked while he puttered about in the kitchen, preparing their breakfast and Hamish’s bottle

“Everything’s perfect” Mycroft smiled

“I knew you’ll fix it” John returned the smile “Sherlock deduced you’ll sort things out before sunrise” John chuckled “By the way…” John’s face changed “We need to bring Molly back and get her away from Tobias… He’s cheating on her”

“Yes… I missed that deduction” Mycroft blushed

“Sherlock noticed last night after everyone left… He saw the way Tobias was acting towards Molly last night, but he was distracted by my sister being an arse with Hamish” John explained

“Yes… Greg told me this morning…”

“It’s been happening since Russia” Sherlock said from the door “Morning Myc” He greeted his brother “Glad to see everything went right”

“Yeah… I’ve lost my ability to deduce Greg” He pouted

“I know what you mean” Sherlock gave John a kiss on the forehead “I can only deduce him if he asks me to; the rest of the time he remains a mystery” he patted John’s buttock “I’ll bring them down and then we can go”

“Go?” Mycroft’s eyes widened

“Yes, for a walk. Bell asked to go to the park and I was thinking on taking her to Arundel for the morning and we’ll be back to have lunch with Mamie, and apparently we’re in charge of dinner again tonight…” Sherlock sighed    

“I’ll see you at lunch…” Mycroft left the Holmes-Watson family to their morning and went back to his house, were his daughter were in a better mood. He felt like a father for the first time. He followed his brother example and took his family to explore the town and they returned for lunch.

That night, Greg was in charge of telling Molly about Tobias cheating on her. They didn’t fight, she just simply asked him to leave and then cried her eyes out in Violet’s shoulder and asked her if she by any chance had another son, just like Sherlock, hidden somewhere.

Sally offered to introduce to her to her brother; they might hit it off with Ben; Molly nodded and in the end, she was set up for a date on New Year’s Eve. As to make sure that Molly would be in a safe environment, Greg made sure they’ll have New Year’s at their house

The rest of the week went smoothly. Greg still had some time off because of his injury; and Mycroft made sure the world was peaceful so he would have enough time to enjoy with his family. As for John and Sherlock, Hamish was getting used to be held by John, but he still cried if someone else picked him up or tried to hold him. For a week old baby, he was pretty grumpy; that much he got from Daddy John…

By the end of the year, Benjamin Donovan and Molly Hopper in deed hit it off… Benjamin was really different from his sister, just as clever, but unlike Sally that had followed the force part of the law, he followed the investigative part; he was a scientists, a professor in forensics at King’s College, and very different from the detectives Molly fancied.

“Thank you” Sherlock startled Sally who was watching at her brother talk excitedly with Molly

“What?” She looked wide eyed at the detective

“I hate repeating myself” Sherlock gave a frustrated groan “But I said… Thank you” He whispered

“What for?” Sally was agape

“For introducing your brother to Molly” He looked at his friend “She’s very important to me” He smiled “She helped me when I had to go and she kept an eye on him” He looked warmly at John “And for being there…”

“Being there?” Sally was confused “I blamed you…” She looked down, she had never asked for his forgiveness

“You did what you had to do…” Sherlock bit the inside of his cheek at the memory

“I…” Sally had no idea what to say. She was a royal prick, and she never got enough courage to ask for forgiveness, and now she was at Holmes Central, enjoying Christmas with people that treated her like family

 “You were there… after I left…” Sherlock could feel her tensing up, and decided to spare her the awkwardness “You supported Greg and stood by him…” He pulled his lower lip with his thumb and forefinger “And for what you did when…” He looked at John talking to James about little Hamish

“You needed help, and I had to be there for my boss” She looked down and blushed

“I know you got John and that you stayed with him until the whole situation ended… He told me you almost arrested him… Thank you for doing that…” Sherlock looked away too “Anyway…” He cleared his throat

“Yeah…” She scratched her head and rubbed her face “Happy New Year… Sherlock…”

“Happy New Year… Sally” Sherlock walked away and went to his husband “We need to find a good man for Donovan…” He whispered in John’s ear and John turned to look at him

“I think maybe one of your friends could be a nice partner for her” John kissed him soundly “You’re amazing…” Another kiss “By the way…” He looked at Sherlock and licked his lips “Hamish is fast asleep…” He wriggled his eyebrows

That’s all it took for Sherlock to grab John’s hand and led him to their house and run all the way up the stairs to their room. John blinked once and Sherlock was completely naked, another blink and John’s clothes were flying everywhere

“I’ve missed you” Sherlock said kissing John up and down, five weeks was too long to wait to have intimacy again

“I’ve missed you too” John tried to hold a little longer before pushing in, his body eager after five long weeks of big, fat, nothing…

“I love you” They both chanted until they came, close to the stroke of midnight. It was frantic, needy, fast and quite fulfilling; who knew when they might have time to do it slowly, with enough time to explore each other…

“Mamie wanted you to play the violin and Mycroft the piano” John said after he recovered his breath

“I know…” Sherlock panted, catching his breath still “But I needed my husband” He hid his face in John’s neck and kissed him sloppily, wanting nothing more than to stay there in John’s arms

“Scott!” Came Mamie’s voice from their kitchen

“I’ll be right down” Sherlock groaned “I came to look for the violin”

“For an hour?” Isabelle tutted

Sherlock dressed as fast as he could, gave John one last kiss and ran down the stairs holding his violin. John followed him shortly, holding Hamish.

Sherlock played for a couple of hours with Mycroft and when Mamie was finally tired enough, they were able to stop. 

“Home?” John nosed Sherlock’s neck and Sherlock nodded. They made sure everything was locked; they didn’t want any more interruptions.

The week went by easily; they took Bell to the Zoo, they spend time alone with their children, away from prying eyes, cases and risks; the walked around town almost carelessly, and enjoyed a few days of tranquillity and enough rest before returning to London and resuming their trip.


	103. London and all the January festivities. January 6th to January 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They handed the presents they had brought from New York; and he found the perfect gift for John; he found something that only he would understand; it was a silvery cube with little colour circles; oxytocin, phenethylamine, dopamine, prolactin, endorphin and encephalin. John laughed at the gift while most people frowned at it, except Mike, Molly, Mycroft and Violet… Sherlock was telling John he loved him, and that he was “orgasmically” happy about it.

They returned to London in the late hours of January 5th. John was a bit nervous because he had prepared a surprise for Sherlock with the help of their entire family; and he needed everything to be perfect. He knew the Detective could deduce the surprise in five seconds; but thanks to their stay in London, it was harder for him to realise what had really happened with 221C. Sure, Mycroft had turned the flat into a surgery and a lab; but what Sherlock didn’t know was the kind of lab John had created.

But that wasn’t the only surprise. He had called Angelo and they had a table for dinner. He made arrangements to have Mycroft take care of Bell and Hamish… Apparently the little boy felt comfortable with his uncle; actually, he cried the least when Mycroft held him; he also arranged for Lara to send the Detective cold cases from all the countries they had been, including Spain. Lara was happy to help; they gathered thirty seven cold cases, almost one from each European country Sherlock had been.

Sherlock knew John had prepared something for his birthday; he had insisted they’ll be back to London by the fifth; but he decided not to deduce; it was better to act surprised, even when you know Molly had knitted another pair of gloves for you; or that Mrs. Hudson decided to give you a jumper, just because you used one, once, while she was close by. He had actually enjoyed Mamie’s gift; a new dressing gown, royal blue, silk, perfect; and John’s gift was even better; he had found a really old chemistry book…

Sherlock had gone the mile too. They handed the presents they had brought from New York; and he found the perfect gift for John; he found something that only he would understand; it was a silvery cube with little colour circles; oxytocin, phenethylamine, dopamine, prolactin, endorphin and encephalin. John laughed at the gift while most people frowned at it, except Mike, Molly, Mycroft and Violet… Sherlock was telling John he loved him, and that he was “orgasmically” happy about it.

Sherlock let John surprise him; he needed to be surprised, if not for him, for John’s sake; he knew how John felt about his birthday; so he pretended that he didn’t notice the turned on lights at 221C, and he pretended no see the men carrying the latest organic mass-spectrometer, or the fanciest chromatograph; he even played the blind eye when Mycroft offered to take care of the children for a day, arguing he wanted to create bonds with the latest addition to the Holmes-Watson household

They arrived to their home late in the afternoon, and John acted as nonchalant as possible; he knew Sherlock had deduced he was going to give him some new chemistry instruments for his brand new lab; so he decided to keep the charade and do something that could throw Sherlock from the lead and do something absolutely uncharacteristic; take Sherlock dancing…

Breakfast in bed was a must; Bell and Hamish were there, and Sherlock’s first gift was a birthday card with a picture of Bell and Hamish, signed with their little hands. Sherlock was abhorrent to all forms of sentiment, so if anyone asked if he was moved by the gesture, he would deny it until the day he died; he had shown weakness when Hamish was born, and that was it; truth be told, he noticed his family was there when Mamie demanded to carry Hamish and he cleaned the tears and acted as cold and distant as he always was, but failed epically when Hamish cried and he practically leapt to his son’s side

Lunch was eventful too; Mamie had decided to stay in London for a few weeks and Sherlock knew it was because of his birthday; his parents had arranged to have lunch with him, and he went, after a glare war he lost against John. He hated such dreadful celebrations, but endured lunch with his family, thankful for Hamish that wouldn’t allow his father to be hugged and kissed and touched incessantly to congratulate him for his birthday.

Around five, Mycroft made his appearance and took the children away. Bell was happy to go with uncle Myc, she enjoyed her time with him because he did as she said; and even though Hamish cried his lungs out, eventually the baby relented, exhausted, and settled in his uncle’s arms, absolutely defeated, but wrapped in his father’s dressing gown.

Sherlock was waiting, had been waiting all day long to go down to the lab; he could pick the lock but decided to wait for John to tell him he could go. When John said they were going out to Angelo’s, all Sherlock could think about was that John actually didn’t buy him a gift or got him anything for his birthday; he felt slightly disappointed, but it was better, he couldn’t lie to John and act surprised.

They went to Angelo’s, had a nice dinner and John flirted with him the entire time. At least some things never change, and he’ll have a very nice night alone with his husband; but when John headed to the parking lot where they kept their car, he eyed John and John smiled “Fancy a ride?” John asked and Sherlock nodded, maybe his gift was somewhere else. John drove around London, getting lost several times, or so Sherlock thought, the thing is that by the time they arrived to the place they were expected, Sherlock was confused, and John had done a great job distracting him.

The room was dark; and the moment they entered a spotlight was directed to them; a chair was in the middle of the room, and John sat there; Sherlock was confused, until the music started and John winked at him. Sherlock danced his heart out, and John enjoyed the show… Suffice to say that Sherlock was very grateful that night, mostly because after the private show, they danced, kissed and rutted against each other in a sea of people. John acted cruelly, teasingly, almost killing Sherlock with desire, he decide to drive back, and walk the four blocks back to 221B, kissing Sherlock and pushing him against every wall, groping him and making him squirms, and do what John wanted, for Sherlock to beg…

The next morning, Mycroft delivered the babies back, his brother’s face told him everything, Hamish had cried at least half the night. He held his son and the kid was fast asleep not five seconds later, and Mycroft scowled. Sally arrived a couple hours later, she had a case, and it took Sherlock a couple of days to solve it, Hamish was with him the entire time, hidden under his Belstaff, that’s why it took him so long…

Instead of going to Bart’s, he used his new instruments in his new lab, but he had to stop every couple of hours to feed Hamish, check him up, rest his back… As soon as he had all the information he texted Lestrade, and then remembered he had to send the information to Donovan; they solved the case quickly and he was back with his family by lunch time.

John was worried, Sherlock should be bored to death; but as the days went by, he was more annoyed that he was being called to solve only twos and fours, that he was forced to leave home only to return an hour later having given the “morons at the Yard another lesson in how to properly solve moronic crimes”. But his worries melted away one night after he had fallen asleep; he knew Sherlock was prone to leave, at least once a week, for walks, to think, process, absorb the city; but since the incident with Greg; Sherlock had slept next to John every night, all night. He felt the cold bed next to him and relaxed because he knew Sherlock might be at Bart’s rooftop or maybe even down in his lab… which wasn’t a common occurrence lately; but the noises he heard put him on alert; he reached for his Browning and left the room as quietly as we was capable of.

He walked slowly to the living room and what he saw was both mesmerising and incredible; Sherlock was pacing around, holding one of the many cold cases he had received for his birthday in one hand and Hamish in the other, eyes wide open, looking up at his father. Sherlock was speaking in French; probably giving Hamish the particulars of the crime and the baby gurgled occasionally. He closed the file, putting it away and holding Hamish with both his arms “Are you sleepy yet?” Sherlock asked the little bundle and got another gurgle “You almost wake up Daddy” He chastised the baby softly “I know… If that two doesn’t do it for you, I’m telling you a story” Sherlock continued pacing, oblivious to John looking at him from the kitchen

“Last week I had to solve one of those dull cases the Yard has” He sighed “I can’t believe those people are called detectives when they can’t find their heads even when they’re attached to their bodies…” He chuckled and the baby gurgled “All of them but your uncle Greg; he’s a good man” Sherlock smiled and John’s heart leapt in his chest and gave a triple flip “Donovan called, like always she was out of her depth, not just because Greg is still in recovery; but because she has to work with that _crétin_ Gregson…” Sherlock scowled “And there I was, receiving the files, and I realised something…” He nuzzled Hamish’s little stomach and the baby squirmed “I realised I missed you, that’s why I took you to the lab and worked with you…” He kissed his little forehead “And I realised I missed your sister and your Daddy, and all I wanted was for that moronic case to be over and be back home with you” John’s heart melted, his stomach was filled with every other variety of crawling insect and his pulse was not only erratic, it was buzzing “I know Daddy is worried that I might get bored; but seeing you sleep is even more fascinating than waiting for those fingers I have in the crisper on the fridge… don’t tell Daddy…” He winked at the baby “to rot and produce the exact mould I need for the case we’ve been reading”

Without noticing, John was walking to Sherlock, his arms were around his waist and even though Sherlock was startled and tried to get away; John was holding him so tightly that Sherlock had to make an even bigger effort to turn and look at John “You’re amazing” John whispered and pulled Sherlock for a long and slow kiss. The position was uncomfortable, Sherlock was holding Hamish, he’s taller and John just kept on pulling him close until they both had to breathe “May I take you to bed?” John asked and Sherlock nodded

He put Hamish in the cot and helped Sherlock to the bed; where he held him until he fell asleep, that was all he needed, they’ll have time to do whatever after Bell’s birthday party, for now, all he needed was hold this amazing man in his arms and love him the only way he knew how, by being there and feeling him.      

Bell’s birthday was a success; they went to the Zoo; bought her more colouring books and they enjoyed cake and hot chocolate with the family; and that night. Following what his heart and his body asked; John made love to Sherlock in a new found way, giving himself fully, taking everything Sherlock wanted to give him and giving everything Sherlock asked. But their peace lasted just a couple more days. Dimmock needed their help with what looked like a four and turned into a nine, with a chase over rooftops, a fist fight, a gun being fired, and Sherlock shouting John’s name, head-butting the suspect, breaking the perpetrator’s nose, arm, leg, and head, not knowing exactly how it happened; “It was all fussy Detective Inspector”; a visit to the closest A&E and the longest night of their lives, since Simone…

John was fine, the bullet flew next to his head and hit some boxes behind him; it was Sherlock who was injured; while kicking the perpetrator’s arse, he sprained a wrist and bruised a rib; and after seeing his scars, the doctors wanted him to stay to make sure no other organs were compromised. He got his release papers after he threatened the last nurse on telling on her, deducing she was stealing hospital cleaning supplies and telling the last doctor he was basically a limp dick, quite literally…

They were able to return home after paper work, John prepared a bath for his Detective but all he wanted was bury his face in Hamish’s curls and his hand in Bell’s. He rested for a while with his kids until it was time to move, get the bath John proposed in the first place and eat something.

Another case disrupted their family time. They were called to Leeds to find a murderer that had kidnaped his latest victim. Another week gone there; stake outs, Sherlock following the murderer, finding all the clues in record time, and John mending Sherlock’s skin for the umpteenth time. Even if Sherlock wanted to be bored he couldn’t; apparently the criminal class decided to test the Detective while he was in England; they even had to pretend not to be married for an interview after the case, and Sherlock had asked John to tell the lie; he didn’t have it in him to keep on lying about them.

Fortunately for them; the criminal classes gave them a rest, and just in time, to celebrate their anniversary. Dinner at Angelo’s where their first ever dinner was; a bed made of duvets in the middle of the living room, candles, and a very thorough revival of the night they got engaged… Thank God Mrs. Hudson was at her sister’s, and that Hamish had finally took a liking of uncle Mycroft…

Two days later, with every single document in order, two buggies, four sets of luggage; every single stuffed animal available in the world, half a library made of colouring books, and just enough fate to think everything will work out, the Holmes-Watson left to the airport, the rest of the world was waiting for them


	104. Back to America. February 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment Irene noticed Sherlock she stood and waved at him, a broad smile on her face, which fell the moment she saw John. She tried to hide it; but John noticed and he was utterly happy about it; her face fell a bit more when she saw the little baby strapped to Sherlock’s chest, and this time it was harder to pretend she didn’t feel like she was slapped in the face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They way I think meetings with "The Woman", should go... He!

New York was waiting for them; but this time around, they had enough time to enjoy the city as much as possible. Like last time. They tried to keep Bell awake for as long as they could, in order to change the little girl’s schedule; that was easier said than done, but they managed to keep her up for almost three hours before she succumbed to sleepiness and they had to take her back to the flat.

To their surprise, a single red rose was waiting for them and John simply sighed; he knew what the rose meant and who had sent it; and he was ready for battle “I guess your phone will be moaning soon” He let out an angry sigh

“Why would it…” and the expected moan that startled Sherlock and infuriated John

“Because snakes may change their skin but they never stop being snakes…” John muttered under his breath and left the Detective alone, taking his children away

**I heard you’re back. Let’s have dinner**

Sherlock closed his eyes. The only moment he had no account of his phone was when a boy had ran into him at the park and he was too concentrated in keeping Hamish warm to notice the boy’s hand in his pocket, taking the phone, and then returning it in the same way, ‘Bloody Woman’ he thought and went after John

“Help me change the tone?” He asked softly, voice full of regret, those eyes that made John’s knees go weak and agree to everything and those lips, turned into a half smile, the plush lower lip trapped between his teeth

“Give it” John stretched his hand with and annoyed huff and looked for a tone that would allow them to recognise Irene’s messages

“I had no idea she had changed it…” Sherlock was looking down; playing with some invisible dust on his cuff “It was that kid that bumped into me at the park…” he looked at his wedding ring and rubbed it

“I’m not angry at you…” John sighed frustrated as he handed Sherlock his phone back “I just don’t like the way she plays you…” He sat on the bed and looked at Hamish. The little boy was finally asleep and he was tired too; he’d been up since six in the morning with Hamish’s first bottle and it was barely six in the afternoon, New York time

“She’s not playing with me…” Sherlock wanted to be annoyed about the affirmation, but he was tired too; he sat next to John and grabbed his hand “You know I don’t want to have dinner with her, love” He kissed John’s hand

“I know that, love” John rubbed Sherlock’s knee with his free hand “But I think that she won’t stop writing to you until you agree to have dinner with her…” He scowled “You should go…” He let out a defeated, long and unsteady breath  

“No” Sherlock shook his head “No way” He pulled John close “Together or not at all…” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear

“Okay” John whispered back and he grabbed Sherlock’s phone “I’ll text her” He grinned devilishly and Sherlock smirked

_When and where_

The answer came quickly

**Tavern on the Green. 8pm Tomorrow**

“Tavern on the Green” Sherlock frowned “I wanted to take you there for Valentines’ but I guess she just spoiled that…” he did a very disgraceful moue and the mighty pout made its appearance

“Love…” John hid his smirk behind a lip bite “We have an entire city for us” He smiled softly “We can go wherever we want” He kissed him softly on the lips “But all I want now is sleep, so get those clothes out of the way and come here” He patted Sherlock’s knee and stood, walking to the bathroom and pulling his tired husband with him. Night ablutions done and they were both in bed, exhausted, but knowing that soon enough Hamish will be up for his nightly bottle, and then they’ll have to do it all over again…

Sherlock let John sleep, and he paced with Hamish until the baby fell asleep again. He knew that wasn’t the best thing to do, but he couldn’t keep away from his son; he had found that he felt at peace whenever he was holding little Hamish, that perfect creation he had made with John, a little something that at some point was not only impossible but improbable, now was a sweet reality.

He returned to the room and John was sitting in bed, waiting for him, arms and eyes wide open “You’re spoiling him” He said with a sweet voice and Sherlock nodded with a knowing smile on his lips. He put Hamish back in the cot and went to John “Next time, wake me up?” He pulled Sherlock close and held him tight

“I will” Sherlock stifled a yawn and rested his head on John’s chest

In spite of the promise, Sherlock let John sleep a little longer and took care of their children; he made breakfast, played with Bell while he fed Hamish and by nine he was as exhausted as if he had ran a marathon. He sat on the sofa; listening to the music that came from one of Bell’s shows and he closed his eyes, feeling Hamish’s soft breath against his chest. The day he met John, eight years ago, all he had in his mind was finding a way to stay clean for more than a month and getting more cases from Lestrade… He thought back to when Greg was Lestrade, that sergeant that helped him thirteen years ago with silly cases and the promise to give him more serious cases if he got clean

Sherlock could feel Isabelle’s head on his lap, her hand on his knee and he rubbed her head absentmindedly, Hamish squirmed a bit and held him better, never opening his eyes. He had not one, but two kids now; a beautiful, amazing, clever and sweet little three year old girl, and a gorgeous, slightly clingy, amazingly perceptive, six weeks old boy. Everything had changed since John; his life was amazing since John, filled with adventure, excitement, and most of all, love. He was a changed man; not in his wildest dreams he would have ever thought about having even a friend, except Redbeard, of course.

His mind palace was full of pictures of John, Bell, Hamish; their trip, the places they had been, kisses shared, hand holding, embraces; John’s kiss spot behind his ear, the way Bell squirmed when he nuzzled her neck, or how Hamish attempted a smile every time he ran a hand over his wild curls, those auburn curls that reminded him so much of Mycroft in all those old baby pictures. He walked around his mind palace, minding all the time that he was holding Hamish in his arms, and he realised that he didn’t hold any more of those facts and figures he once was so concerned about. He now held the importance of tasting Hamish’s bottle for the right temperature; it had become a reflex action; he had learned the importance of trying’s Bell’s bath water, another reflex action; and he knew, most of all, the importance of allowing John to sleep at least one more hour every day; that way he’ll be hugged, kissed, nuzzled more often, and he had to admit he loved it.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to find the deep blue ocean in front of him; John, his John, his one and only love, was there, looking at him with such intensity that he shivered

“You promised” He chastised him, but his voice was so tender

“You were tired, love” Sherlock whispered and looked up, waiting a kiss, to his bliss, John kissed him slowly and softly

“You look tired, love” John whispered against his lips and made him shiver; John always took his breath away “Go ahead, take a quick nap” He took Hamish from Sherlock’s arms and patted his shoulder “I’ll have Amanda take them to the park and I’ll join you in a bit” He pulled his phone out and texted their nanny

Sherlock obeyed, of course he would; they had two body guards for each of their kids, he had to trust Amanda would die for them, just like Tim did; and he needed to rest, he truly did. He snuggled close to John and rested his head on John’s chest; he felt relaxed immediately and by the time he woke up it was to hear Hamish cry of hunger

“He’s hungry” Sherlock stretched and tried to get up but John pinned him down and snogged him before releasing his hands

“Now you can go” John licked his lips and let Sherlock get up

“Wicked man” Sherlock grinned

“After dinner” John licked his lips again, but instead of retorting with something witty, Sherlock scowled “What?” John bit his lip and gave Sherlock a confused look

“Dinner” He frowned

“Right” John groaned

“Lunch?” Sherlock pulled John from the bed and he nodded; feeling tired all over again

They got ready for dinner, but the moment they had to leave, Hamish started crying, there was no way he was going to stop, unless they took him with them, or Sherlock would have to miss the dinner; and there was no way John was going to dinner alone with her, on the other hand; John was absolutely pleased that Hamish was so clingy, that meant they’ll be back sooner than planned

They arrived to the Tavern five minutes late. The moment Irene noticed Sherlock she stood and waved at him, a broad smile on her face, which fell the moment she saw John. She tried to hide it; but John noticed and he was utterly happy about it; her face fell a bit more when she saw the little baby strapped to Sherlock’s chest, and this time it was harder to pretend she didn’t feel like she was slapped in the face

They approached the table and even though he tried to hide his self-sufficient smirk; John simply couldn’t do it; as they walked to the table he had a firm grip on Sherlock’s hand; the feeling of Sherlock’s ring between his fingers filling him not only with confidence but with love. He reached to caress Hamish’s little head and the baby turned to look at him with those wondering still grey eyes. It seemed too early for him to actually smile; but John was so sure he saw him grin; sure a reflex smile was just that, but there it was, and just for him, reassuring him…

“Mister Holmes” Irene used her best smile

“Miss Adler” He gave a polite nod “You remember John?” He pulled John closer and kissed his forehead, and for a moment he got lost in the blue ocean. Nothing else mattered in the world

“Of course” She kept the smile on her lips but her eyes said otherwise “Doctor Watson” John gave a curt nod “And the little… bundle?” She eyed Hamish

“This is Hamish” Sherlock answered proudly, getting the baby out of the carrier and turning him around so Irene could have a proper look of the little baby

“May I?” She extended her hands to grab the baby but John shook his head

“I wouldn’t recommend it” John grabbed Hamish’s tiny hand in his and rubbed it softly; kissing the little hand with reverence. Irene eyed him suspiciously and John looked up at Sherlock and gave a small nod. The second Irene grabbed the baby, and to John’s infinite pleasure and utter happiness, the baby wailed and squirmed and Sherlock had to grab him again and pull him to his chest “I told you so” John tried to hide his smirk and Sherlock couldn’t hold a snort

She scowled but schooled her expression to impassiveness again. She moved to her chair and John politely helped her to it. The dinner went smoothly, Hamish didn’t fuss much about, and Sherlock could share a pleasant conversation, telling Irene all about their trip, the way things had worked out in the end, and thanking her for her help while he was in New York

John tried to make peace with The Woman, but he simply didn’t like her… She was the only person that had ever piqued Sherlock’s interest; not even Moriarty was as interesting as she was… He noticed the way Sherlock included him in the conversation and how she tried to direct the Detective’s attention to her, quite unsuccessfully. John maintained a live conversation, laughing, joking, knowing he was winning the battle, the more normal he acted, the more friendly he was, the least comfortable Irene looked.

“I was right in the end” She said when the dinner was nearing the end

“You were?” Sherlock quirked a brow and John looked at her suspiciously

“I knew he loved you” Irene smiled and looked at John “He avoided your nose and teeth” Sherlock chuckled and John shook his head, remembering the arse kicking when Sherlock returned “Marriage suits you… Sherlock” She gave him the first sincere smile of the night

“I know…” Sherlock was beaming, his attention fully on John

“Thank you for the dinner, Mister Holmes… Watson” She gave him a sad look before leaving the table, walking elegantly out the restaurant without looking back

“Thank you” Sherlock whispered and leaned close to kiss John

“Take me home?” John took a deep and shaky breath; he was tired and all he wanted was to be with Sherlock


	105. New York with my Best Valentine. February 12th to February 14th

Their days in New York went by smoothly. Hamish was finally used to John, and the baby enjoyed the time with both his fathers, but he still cried whenever anyone carried him. He was also sleeping more hours every night, comfortably wrapped in Sherlock’s dressing gown; the one he’d been using during the day.

Bell on the other hand was more comfortable with the traveling and proved to be of great help to put Hamish to bed. For a three year old she was sweet, caring and supportive. She loved to card her fingers in Hamish’s auburn locks and stayed watching him for endless hours; she was fascinated with the little baby and tried to help her parents in every way possible.

After the dinner with Irene, Sherlock had planned their days together to be as close to John as possible; he needed to feel him close, stay together. Their third anniversary was a couple days after the dinner with Irene; as previously planned, by himself; Sherlock made breakfast and they took the children to the park; John made lunch and they watched a movie, for John’s sake. The night ended at the Russian Tea Room where they shared some alone time.

“I wanted to bring you to the Tea Room since we first arrived, but with the threat over our heads it was almost impossible to come and enjoy the way we are enjoying now” Sherlock sipped his wine

“We made it in the end” John smiled and tilted his head to the side, looking at Sherlock with those blue eyes that looked like the deep of the ocean

“I guess we have” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek, unable to hold himself any longer “I’ve missed us” He said, suddenly sad

“Missed us?” John leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling

“Yes, my love; I’ve missed us” Sherlock leaned closer and kissed John’s lips softly “Don’t get me wrong; I love our children, but at the same time, I miss you, I miss us, our nights out, our nights in… us…”

“We’re still us, love” John reached for Sherlock and touched their foreheads together “We will always be us” He pulled Sherlock for a kiss “And as soon as Hamish is six months old, we’ll be more us than ever…” John winked and smiled at Sherlock

Sherlock chuckled softly “I guess we’ll be” He sighed and kissed John back

As an answer to their prayers, Siger and Violet came to the rescue; and to John’s joy, Hamish settled comfortably in Siger’s arms giving them more leeway than what they had the previous week. They assured them that they will have the entire week for them, and just them if that’s what they needed, and John thanked them the only way he knew how, by doing exactly what was demanded of him, and that was taking care of Sherlock

Having time, they slept like they hadn’t slept for over a month and planned a dinner to meet Rick and Erika. John tried to look enthusiastic but Sherlock knew better; he now understood, more than he ever did, how John must feel every time one of his collaborators called him friend and goaded for having “helped” him.

“If you don’t want to meet them it’s fine, love” Sherlock rubbed John’s shoulder

“I want to meet them… It’s just…” John huffed  

“I wish you had been there…” Sherlock kissed him softly and John relaxed

“Where are we meeting them?”

“Twenty One Club” Sherlock gave John a lopsided smile and John knew he was planning something

They arrived to the club and a couple was waiting for them; she smiled fondly at Sherlock and Sherlock kissed her on the cheek, then shook the man’s hand “Love” He was holding John’s hand “These are Erika and Rick, American contacts” He gave John a cheeky grin “Erika, Rick, this is John, my husband” John smiled up at Sherlock, he loved hearing that word uttered from Sherlock’s lips

“So you’re one of the surprises Lara said you had in storage?” Erika beamed at him and couldn’t resist the urge to hug him “It’s so nice to finally meet the Doctor that stole Sherlock’s heart!” She kissed both his cheeks

“I can’t wait for the other surprises” Rick shook John’s free hand

They shared a nice dinner with Rick and Erika; she told them all about their baby. The day he was born, how they actually met. After the usual interrogation, Erika and Rick shared their impressions about Sherlock during those days.

“He was alone most of the time” Erika said with a sad voice “We tried to help him as much as possible but we were posted in different places” She rested her head on her hand and looked at Sherlock fondly “If it weren’t for him we would have never met” She squeezed Rick’s hand “We have to thank him for a lot of things” She smiled “The only regret we have is not getting to know you before tonight”

“It had to be done that way” John sighed and Sherlock grabbed his hand

“I wish he could have been there, too” Sherlock smiled sadly at John “But I had to keep him safe, no matter how”

“When Lara called us and told us all about your trip and said to expect great surprises, I suspected as much” Rick smiled at them and let a soft chuckle out

“What do you mean?” Sherlock cocked his head

“You kept saying that you and John did everything together, that he was your best friend, your partner, that he would know what to do” Rick smirked

“You kept calling Rick “John”, every single time” Erika bit her lip containing a smile “And when we found you in that basement you kept calling him…” She looked down

“He was hallucinating” Rick said, remembering that day “He kept looking for you after the paramedics wheeled him out the building. He kept saying that you were there with him, that you kept him alive”

John closed his eyes and remembered what Sherlock had said, how he described the time he was in that basement “I love you” He whispered in Sherlock’s ear and made him shiver “So much” He rested his head in Sherlock’s shoulder, lips close to his neck

“My John” Sherlock kissed his forehead and held him close. Erika and Rick just watched them

“Is there any other surprise?” Erika was beaming at them; she wanted to know everything “Lara said you had more surprises”

“Yes” Sherlock nodded and moved slightly away from John but kept him close “We have two children” He took his phone out “I sent Lara the latest pictures this morning” He smiled “Here” He handed Erika the phone

“They are so beautiful!” She exclaimed excited “What are their names?”

“Isabelle and Hamish” John answered proudly “Isabelle is three and Hamish is six weeks old”

“They are so beautiful” Erika looked over the pictures “Our little Scott is four” She handed John her phone with pictures of their son

“Scott?” Sherlock cocked his head

“That was your name…” She whispered. John looked up at Sherlock and winked and Sherlock returned the wink “We’d love you to meet him; maybe before you leave?” They both nodded

“Sure, the day after tomorrow” John agreed     

They chatted for a long while, making plans to meet Scott; talking about their days in New York; about the days the kids were born, their wedding, the day they met, how was it for John while Sherlock was away; until midnight arrived and Sherlock treated John with a piece of cake and a small anniversary present; another notebook with the date and John’s name engraved on the leather

_For our future adventures. S_

“Thank you, love!” John was smiling at him “I’ve got you these” He handed Sherlock a package

“Just what I wanted” Sherlock smiled and pulled the leather gloves on, he had lost his somewhere between London and New York...

They left the club and arrived to the flat shortly after; Violet and Siger had the children and they had all night ahead, which they took advantage of; they shared a bubble bath and made love, slowly, for the first time in many weeks; it was so different not having to rush before Hamish’s next bottle. 

Following their Valentine’s Day routine; John made the butter and honey flavoured pancakes and drizzled them with hot melted dark chocolate and minced strawberries; they made love, exactly like the first time, slowly, carefully, worshiping each other; Sherlock ordered Chinese for lunch, they took a soothing bath, watched telly for a while and took a nap; Sherlock made Thai with extra cashews and tiramisu from scratch while John prepared the duvet bed in front of the fire. They had some champagne and strawberries; they danced for a while and made love in front of the fire.

“I love our tradition” John said to the mop of curls that was currently lodged under his chin

“And I love you” Sherlock kissed the words on John’s chest

“Do we have plans for tonight?” John scratched Sherlock’s head

“I was thinking we could go to the Russian Tea Room for dinner” He was tracing patterns on John’s chest

“Not a bad idea…” John kissed his head “I always wanted to go there” He ran a hand over Sherlock’s back “At what time should we be there?”

“I made a reservation at nine” Sherlock rolled away from John and tried to escape the makeshift bed “I think a shower is in order before my parents arrive” he pulled John to himself and kissed him the way he knew would make John’s knees fail  

“If you keep kissing me like that we might not get out of this flat at all” John let out with a sigh “Remember we have lunch with your friends today” John grabbed the duvets and pushed his husband to their bedroom

Lunch went as expected; little Scott was as charming as their parents had described them during dinner; he immediately took a liking on Isabelle and was curious about Hamish; Erika made a joke about Scott being the perfect little boyfriend for Isabelle and Sherlock scowled; he wasn’t willing to accept that his little girl would ever have anything resembling a boyfriend, much less at her short age. John just smiled and hugged him; he knew that no matter what, Bell would grow up to be her own person

By the time they had to leave, John promised to keep them updated on the kids, and offered to send them pictures of Bell and Hamish and they places they were to visit.

“She will not have a boyfriend until she’s fifty or until I die, whichever happens first” Sherlock said holding Bell as close as he could to his chest

“Oh love” John chuckled “She’s going to have as many boyfriends as she wants and we can do nothing about it” He patted his shoulder and held his hand “All we can do is teach her to be her own person, to love herself and to find a person that will love her no matter what, respecting her and her wishes” He looked at Sherlock “Just the way you do” He pulled him close for a kiss

“Fine” Sherlock huffed and softened his grip on John’s hand “My parents are waiting for us to go to the Tea Room” Sherlock climbed in the back of the black sedan and sat Bell between them, holding Hamish to his chest “At least I’ll be the man of her life for the next ten years…” He sighed and kissed her neck, making her squirm and giggle. John shook his head and smiled fondly at the scene, a year had gone by so fast, ten years will be gone in a blink of an eye


	106. Mexico. February 17th to March 17th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John had never enjoyed a trip as much as he did this one, because, once again, Sherlock tried to avoid getting sick, but he was to enamoured by the food to even care that it was too spicy for his usually unused stomach…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live in Ecuador, and I suffered a grave case of food poisoning while visiting Mexico, so it’s based on my travellers life and not a way of deprecate against the lovely and beautiful people of Mexico; I was advised to buy bottled water but since I always thought of myself as Superman… well…

“Latin America has something that makes you think you just have entered a novela, sort of a soap opera, or maybe, a magical and mystical event that can’t be compared to any other place in the world” Sherlock was holding John’s hand, they were ready for take-off, waiting for the pilot’s announce that they could use the tarmac “Time seems to go slower, somehow, people are different, less hasty…” He smiled at the memory of his days in Latin America “You’ll see as soon as we land” He kissed John’s hand and took a deep breath the moment he felt the plane ascend

“Is really that different?” John asked, truly curious about Sherlock’s description

“Mexico is as much as a magical land as any country in the world, but its magic can only be compared with other countries in Latin America” Sherlock leaned close to John “My arrival to Mexico, as I told you, was by biplane, I landed in a path, it wasn’t paved like a tarmac, it was just a road in the middle of a jungle, clandestine, obviously…” Sherlock had his eyes closed and was trying to distract himself from the lack of sound “I was received by a man, Octavio, he was born in La Montaña and worked in Tlapa de Comonfort, he had never left La Montaña and only travelled amongst the municipios” Sherlock sighed “I mean towns…” He smiled and John nodded “He worked at the plantation were I landed and the local police had contacted the owner a Mister Suárez to receive me and help me reach the Federal District without much noise”

“How did you arrive to the District?” John took Sherlock out of his reflexive state

“Mister Suárez helped me; I got into a car and he drove me to the District. It took us almost six hours, but I made it there mostly safe. I was still recovering from my days in China, but I was feeling better” Sherlock looked at John and smiled softly “I’ll tell you all about China when we arrive there” He leaned in a kissed him and John just nodded ‘Sherlock’s own time, not mine’ “Once in the District my instructions were to arrive to the Interpol headquarters and from there I’ll be given some more contacts in order to return to Guerrero and bring the man I was looking for to the District”

“They sent you in a mission as soon as you arrived?” John’s brows were furrowed

“No” Sherlock shook his head “They sent me to hospital first. Since I speak enough Spanish, the language wasn’t such a terrible barrier, but I was here as a special agent, my passport was bullet proof and I was able to move from Mexico to the rest of South and Central America with as much freedom as a dead man could move around” Sherlock rested his head on John’s shoulder and rubbed his thumb over John’s knuckles “I was supposed to find a Russian, the one that in the end took me back to Europe and led me to Croatia…”

“You mean…” John’s eyes widened

“Yes. It was one of Maupertuis’ men” Sherlock shivered

“Did you know about him being one of his men?”

“No, but I was sure he was part of Moriarty’s network; he was properly disposed of…” Sherlock shifted uncomfortably, moving slightly away from John and looking out the window

“You killed him?” John tried to get Sherlock to look at him and resume their previous position but the Detective seemed lost in thought

“No…” Sherlock took a deep breath “He died in the explosion… tied to a table”

“Did you...?”

“I didn’t… He was a subject…” Sherlock shook his head and let out a shaky breath

“What happened in Mexico?” John knew changing subject would be useless

“I had to follow the man, in the mean time I had to bring down the smuggling ring and allow the bad to become the worst in the process…”

“What do you mean by that?” John shook his head in confusion

“I mean I ended with the Russians and the Americans smuggling drugs in and out of Mexico and… collaborated… a bit… with the local production and distribution…” Sherlock bit his thumbnail

“You mean to say you… used disinfectant…” John let out a long breath, a worried look on his face

“Yes… It was either that or be killed by the local cartels”

“And how long did you stay in the District?”

“Two days, and after that I ended up in Guerrero for almost three weeks. It was quite a successful mission and the hacendado that helped me, Mister Suárez, proved to be quite helpful, in spite of what happened to Octavio; he was used as an example of what would happen to other peasants if they helped either the police or the gringo… meaning me… I tried to save his life and that’s when I had to struck a deal, get rid of the Russian and help the local market”

“It was a matter of death or death…” John rubbed his forehead, grasping the difficult situation “Are we going to Guerrero?”

“I don’t think is wise, but we could go to Acapulco” Sherlock tilted his head, thoughtfully “There’re plenty of things to do in the District, but we could visit Cancun if you fancy a beach”    

“That’ll be nice, though the Pacific has its appeal” John rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder and kissed his neck

Sherlock shivered, this time for a different reason “We’ll be visiting plenty of beaches in the Pacific before we go to China” He rested his head on top of John’s “Look” He pointed to the window “We’re nearly there; I can’t believe it’s been almost four hours…” Sherlock sighed and sat straight

“I’m glad you slept for a little while; you didn’t even notice…” His lopsided smile dashed Sherlock “I guess will be landing in another hour or so?”

“Close to that, love” Sherlock leaned close for a kiss “Did the kids sleep?”

John nodded “Amanda just woke little miss up” He smiled “And the little man over there just ate”

“Thank you, love” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “We’ll be arriving to Benito Juarez in about forty five minutes”

“Are we arriving to a hotel?”

“That might be wise, although it might be better for us to arrive to a flat and cook our own meals”

“Why?”

“Water…”

“Oh, right…” John chuckled “We might need to find some bottled water”

“I’m sure Mycroft has ensured our week’s supply already” Sherlock shook his head

“So we’ll be getting a flat” John scratched his head and tried to smile “I suppose is for the best”

“It actually is…” Sherlock tapped his fingers together “I got a slight case of food poisoning while in Guerrero”

“Well…” John barely contained a chuckle and tried to hide it behind a throat clearing “I’m glad you were eating…” He covered his mouth and tried not to laugh

“Oh, grow up!” Sherlock looked away “You’re a doctor, for Christ sake!” He started laughing heartily and John followed

They arrived to a flat in Polanco, the cultural centre of Mexico City. John was amazed by the sights, but he always was, no matter how many times he had been in some of the countries he had visited; of course, he never mentioned being in Germany, but that was because he never left the airport, and of course, he didn’t want Sherlock to know he’d been in Brazil, though he might have to tell him, just in case they visited there.

As predicted, the flat was ready for them; and John was very diligent in purchasing some medicine that might benefit them both and would help them in case of… food poisoning… The pantry was filled with bottled water and baby food for the babies of the house, and John was certain that their kids had all the vaccines they could get at each age; it was nothing but a precaution, just in case something went wrong.

We’re staying in tonight, love” Sherlock hugged John from the back and looked outside the window to the city. It was slightly polluted, but at the same time, it was a beautiful sight “We’ve had long nights before us, and we’ll have long nights ahead, so I think staying in will be wise” John leaned into Sherlock’s chest and nodded, he wanted to rest for a little while before running to visit the city

“I guess you have everything planned” he entwined his fingers with Sherlock’s and caressed his thumbs with his own

“Yup” Sherlock rested his head on top of John’s “Tomorrow we have a long day. I was thinking on going to the Old Town first, then to El Zocalo and afterwards perhaps the Fine Arts Palace museum and of course the Garibaldi Plaza”

“Quite a long day” John felt tired already “And no archaeology?”

“Oh, John…” Sherlock chuckled in John’s ear “You’re in for a treat”

“And Bell?”

“Children’s museum the day after tomorrow in the morning and the Popular Art museum in the afternoon, although I was thinking on going to the Anthropology museum first and then see if she’s not tired yet take her to the other one, although it will al depend on how she’s coping with our schedule tomorrow. I made sure we visit at least two locations that would distract her”

“And the archaeology?” John insisted

“Teotihuacan is a must, so we’ll go there, don’t worry, and we’ll also be visiting Chapultepec, and I know Bell will love it there”

“Prepared, as always” John praised

“We’ll be going to Frida’s house and we’ll visit Rivera’s murals. I know how much you enjoy art”

“That’s our daughter, love”

“So you don’t enjoy our visits?”

“Of course I do!” John turned in Sherlock’s arms and hugged him close before he had a chance to leave “I love our visits, but I think Bell enjoys them even more than you do!”

“Right…” Sherlock kissed John’s forehead and tried to walk away. He would never admit it but he was hurt

“Love” John looked up and forced Sherlock to look at him “I enjoy the tours you prepare, thoroughly, and I’ve enjoyed every single visit to every single museum because you make it an enjoyable visit by investigating everything beforehand” John kissed his cheek and moved to his jaw “I’m sorry I phrased it as if I don’t enjoy the tours you prepare. Our daughter loves art, more than either of us does; and what I enjoy most is you teaching me about things I wouldn’t have known otherwise” He moved to Sherlock’s neck and sucked softly, making him shiver “And more than anything” Another slow suckling motion “I love the way you make it entertaining for our little lady”

“God, John” Sherlock caved and kissed him fully, moving his hands down and cupping John’s arse “Bed?”

“As soon as we put the bosses down” he grinned and licked his lips

“Two more hours, then… I’ll start dinner…” He pulled John close and started walking towards the kitchen

Following a promise made in the midst of beer, a few months ago, John rocked Sherlock’s world, for once, he was the one getting up to get Hamish and feed him while his darling husband slept. In the morning, more than sated, and having recovered a bit of their intimate routine, Sherlock got their kids ready, made some food and they went to visit the city. As promised, their first stop was the old town. They called attention while there, not because of their hand holding, or even the more than affectionate way they looked at each other but because of the children. Sherlock was holding a very lively, very awake Hamish, and John was holding a very happy and beautiful Bell.

Instead of walking around town, they hired a tour, and for the third time in their trip they decided to leave their time and plans to a tour operator, enjoying the visit to the barrios and covered a long distance in a short amount of time, without getting lost, or even having to learn the lay out of the city. The next day the tour took them to Teotihuacan, and by the end of the week they had experienced Mexico City like proper tourists.

Without thinking much about it, they spent another week in the District and were able to revisit the city at their own pace, spending a long day at the Zoo, and a wild afternoon riding horses and playing with Bell. The end of their second week caught them in Acapulco, a Pacific beach for John’s enjoyment; another tour had them traveling across Guerrero, with all the safety arranged for them by Mycroft; suffice to say, John had never enjoyed a trip as much as he did this one, because, once again, Sherlock tried to avoid getting sick, but he was to enamoured by the food to even care that it was too spicy for his usually unused stomach…

“Stop laughing” Sherlock croaked, his voice raspy after throwing up for the umpteenth time that night

“I’m sorry love” John tried to contain the laughter but was almost impossible “I told you not to eat that last taco”

“Scientific interest” Sherlock cleaned his mouth with some water John handed him

“Call it whatever, but in my professional opinion is food poisoning” John snorted

“Fine…” Sherlock walked over to John, who was standing by the door of the bathroom and closed the door in his face

“Sherlock…” John knocked on the door only to get a grunt “I’m sorry…” He didn’t laugh this time “Love, please?” He knocked again and Sherlock opened the door “I’m going to draw you a bath and then I’ll take you to bed, okay?” He ruffled the wild and sweaty curls “I’m sorry you’re sick, love” He leaned close and kissed his fringe, Sherlock just nodded softly, his head was killing him

After two days of recovery, Sherlock was ready to go to the other side of the country and visit Cancun; it was the perfect spot to stay before going to Cuba. During their week in Cancun they visited the Mayan Riviera and the Mayan Coast. Bell had the opportunity to swim with dolphins at the interactive aquarium, but most of all, they enjoyed the ocean; unlike the Pacific, that reminded Sherlock of John’s eyes, the Atlantic reminded John of Sherlock’s, that verdi-azure, so deep and so beautiful that turned his stomach into a crawler’s zoo. One of the tours they hired took them to visit several archaeological sites, and they both were able to snorkel and swim around.

They said goodbye to Mexico with the promise to return as soon as the kids were older, without even noticing they had spent a month in what Sherlock poetically called a magical country, a country so beautiful that you actually miss it when you have to leave, even though you didn’t even notice you overstayed for a month


	107. Cuba. March 17th to March 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They sat on a bench near the boardwalk and held hand for a long while, just contemplating the sun die and the night conquering the sky, they had never seen the sky so beautiful, with so many stars and so clear as it was that night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Havana is beautiful, best two weeks ever! Although I guess the rules are slightly different depending on where you are from… Every impression, since Mexico is based on my own experience… Sorry if I offend anyone. Would love you to comment on it… Thanks!

They departed from Cancun’s airport directly to Havana. That was a whim, since Sherlock never actually visited Cuba, and John had always wanted to visit the so called “forbidden land”. Much like every other country, they needed a visa to visit, but Mycroft had provided them with all the documentation they needed, they had Hamish’s and Isabelle’s permits, and their visas were issued the moment Sherlock contacted his brother about visiting Cuba; he had also had another few visas for many other countries, in case another whim would take them down that road.

Their security detail was checked too and security was doubled, just in case, since they couldn’t use any GPS devices, Mycroft had to make sure his brother was safe somehow, so his visit was received by the British Ambassador and they were treated as diplomats; it was the only way Mycroft found to protect his brother from whatever threat might come his way.

Instead of staying at a hotel, Mycroft thought ahead and their yacht was waiting for them near La Havana, he had it on call since they arrived to Cancun. They had a smaller boat that would take them to any destination they might choose, but they decided to visit Old Havana the afternoon of their arrival. John was excited; Old Havana was like a heart, beating constantly with the sound of exotic music; beautiful men and women walking everywhere, old cars parked in every street, and to John’s pleasure, the slight smell of coffee and sugar in every single block.

They ended up in front of the Havana Cathedral, and John was so lost in his reverie that he didn’t even notice their contingent stand next to him while he took some pictures. They were supposed to act as any other tourist but they were practically surrounded by people. Sure, he liked being safe, but there were times when he felt like a prisoner of his own circumstances

Sherlock noticed, of course he did, and he had the team back out a bit. They needed space, to become what they were, tourists enjoying a time away, no mobile phones, no urgent matters, just utter enjoyment of their time together as a family. John was grateful and he grabbed Sherlock’s hand in his and walked away, breathing the city in, wanting to get lost in Sherlock’s eyes, in Sherlock’s hair, in Sherlock’s body, and the way he felt whenever he saw those eyes looking directly at him

“You look so gorgeous” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and made him shiver “I’m so glad we came” He hugged John “We should go back, it’s getting late” He kissed John’s cheek and grabbed his hand, walking back to the previously agreed location.

Once in their boat, Sherlock let go of any inhibition he might have had and consumed John the way he knew he needed to be consumed, slowly and tenderly, with enough strength to make up for lost hours without being close to one another. John cried Sherlock’s name repeatedly, and much like the previous night, he was happily spent and willing to do whatever his husband pleased

The sound of the ocean woke them up, and their cabin was waiting for them. The previous night, they decided to go to eat at the beach, before hiring a car that would allow them to move from one end of the island to the other without much trouble. Like any other beach they had visited, except Des Caragol, Varadero was bursting with life. They had to keep a close eye on Bell, and by the end of the morning Sherlock was more stressed than he had been in his entire life. Unlike their days in Acapulco and Cancun, where they, by sure dumb luck (right…) found the beached less… occupied… their visit to Cuba was more noisy, less relaxed, and John decided, then and there, that he would not subject his family to this kind of situation

He called their detail and had them back to their boat in no time, the day out be damned; all he wanted was to be with his family

“We can go somewhere else tomorrow” Sherlock just nodded, too much sensorial input, and on top of everything, his worry about Isabelle, heat, Hamish, and of course, John and his belongings “Too much sensorial input?” John asked while he rubbed Sherlock’s shoulders, he nodded again, closing his eyes and focusing on John’s breathing, his fingers on his neck, the way he rubbed small circles over his tense neck, how he leaned close to him, how John’s legs created the perfect place for him to sit between them, the way his movements sounded against the fabric of the sofa, and most of all, his scent.

Sherlock breathed deeply in and let the air go out slowly, feeling John around him “We didn’t eat” He cleared his throat, he knew his voice was slightly husky, the reactions John caused on him

“It’s okay love. We can have breakfast here” John kissed his neck “Besides, the whole thing about being on vacation is that we don’t have to worry about a thing, about a schedule, even though we have created one” He kissed Sherlock’s neck again “We have twenty people to help us with the bosses, we can take a breather love” He rubbed Sherlock’s shoulders and let go slowly

“Would you like to go out for a while?” Sherlock seemed shy “We can leave them here, Amada is good with them, and maybe that’s what little boss number two might need, a good cry…” Sherlock looked up at John and John just smiled

“Way ahead of you” He kissed Sherlock’s curls “Mish will be asleep for at least another three hours, and Bell is playing with her plush toys and couldn’t be happier. Amanda is reading to her” Sherlock blinked rapidly and looked up at John “We’re going back to Varadero, just the two of us, and you’re going to deduce every single person there, and tonight, the captain is taking us to Santiago”

“I don’t feel like going to the beach” Sherlock shook his head “I’d rather go somewhere else” He took a deep breath

“Shall we head directly to Santiago then?” John held him close “Spend the day here and have a nice day out tomorrow?” Sherlock nodded and John led him to the sun deck where they settled for breakfast as the yacht made its way to the other end of the island. John was worried, Sherlock seemed distant, worried even, and John started worrying about his madman being bored. He tried to distract him with experiments, books, swimming and snorkelling, even with music, but Sherlock was lost in thought

That night, the nightmares hit Sherlock with a force that hadn’t been present for months now; this time the nightmare had changed, and instead of Mary shooting him, she shoot John the one getting shot was John, the cry teared the silent night and John woke up violently, not really knowing what the sudden disruption in his rather pleasant dream was

“Love?” John caressed Sherlock curls slowly, carding his fingers and trying to scare the nightmare aware

“Please, open your eyes” Sherlock managed between sobs, curling close to John and shaking him

“Sherlock?” John tried again

“John, please!” Sherlock cried again

“Sherlock, my sweet love, open your eyes, it’s just a nightmare” John patted his shoulder and tried to get him out of the nightmare, to his relief, Hamish started crying and Sherlock startled awake

“John!” Sherlock launched himself to John’s arms and rested his head over his heart, touching him everywhere he could, feeling his pulse, looking into his very alive eyes “My John” He sobbed and held John close. All John could do was hold him and card his finger in his hair, and wait for the Detective to talk about the nightmare

“Want me to get Hamish?” Sherlock shook his head and pushed himself up. He went to get the baby, fed him, walked him until he fell asleep and went back to John and his arms

“She shot you…” He whispered “She shot you in the empty houses” Sherlock was trembling, his grip on John’s hand the only thing keeping him sane

“She’s gone” John pulled him close and kissed his forehead “She’s gone, I made sure of it” He rubbed Sherlock’s back and tried to comfort him “Is there something I can do?”

“Take a bath with me?” John nodded and helped Sherlock out the bed and to the en-suite. They received the morning soaking up in the large tub, Sherlock learning to breathe again and John knowing that he needed to be even more careful from now on, Sherlock had been worried about him the entire hour they walked around Varadero

Once in Santiago, Sherlock never let go of John’s hand, not even for a second, and whenever John wanted to take a picture, Sherlock would hold him by the waist and be as close as he could the entire time. With every passing hour, Sherlock let go of John a little more, but in the end, all that kept him grounded was John’s presence, and his hand on his own, fingers entwined.

Their first visit in Santiago was Siboney beach; Sherlock strapped Hamish to his chest and Bell to his hand, and the little girl walked in front of her parents. They went to the aquarium and decided to stay another day in Santiago to visit the Cathedral, San Pedro de la Roca castle, the Basilica and the Military Park, and enjoy their night out at the ballet.

“Tomorrow we’re going to Cienfuegos” Sherlock leaned in to kiss John’s ear

“Cienfuegos? What’s that?”

“A city, my love, it means Hundred Fires”

“That sounds nice”

“It’s actually beautiful, as beautiful as every other city in Cuba, but I think that it’s more… quiet… than Havana and Santiago… It’s very… French…”

“Paris French or Pau French?”

“A bit of both… It has an opera house, and we can take a walk on the boardwalk at sunset, maybe visit a castle and the arch of triumph”

“Arch of triumph?”

“Yup… You’ll see it tomorrow” Sherlock smiled a bit wickedly “In the mean time we ought to get the kids to bed and share some alone time” He wiggled his eyebrows and John laughed

“And what deviousness you have in mind for the night?” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear while they bathed Hamish

“You’ll see…” Sherlock massaged the baby’s scalp with some lavender shampoo

“Can’t hardly wait” John husked    

 As previously promised, Sherlock sexed John up, in very imaginative ways, a bit hurriedly, a bit frantic, repeating to John how much he was loved and cared for, and John let the passion take him, and responded in kind, with the same need and desire that Sherlock was professing.  

Cienfuegos was as beautiful as Sherlock had described. John was amazed by the colourful houses, the sounds and the music, the smell of the small city and the warmth of the people, but what left him breathless, was the choice of outfit Sherlock was using, he had chosen a lilac shirt and white linen trousers; no wonder almost every man and certainly every woman was ogling at his gorgeous husband.

They walked around town, Bell walking between them and Hamish, as usual, strapped to Sherlock’s chest. They went to the El Nicho waterfalls where they swam for a while with their children, exhausting them enough to the Jagua castle and tiring Bell enough for her to sleep for at least a week. By the end of the afternoon, Sherlock took John for a walk at the boardwalk, as previously offered, and to the Arch of Triumph. The town in fact reminded John of a petite Paris, with the charm and tranquillity of Pau, maybe even a bit of Orleans

They sat on a bench near the boardwalk and held hand for a long while, just contemplating the sun die and the night conquering the sky, they had never seen the sky so beautiful, with so many stars and so clear as it was that night

“Where’re we going tomorrow?” John asked Sherlock’s neck, as he burrowed closer to his husband and smelled that mixture of sun, sweat and Sherlock that drove him crazy

“Hm?” Sherlock was lost in the night sky that reminded him of John’s eyes

“Tomorrow? Where are we going tomorrow?”

“Costa Rica, we’re going to San Jose” Sherlock stood and pulled John close to his chest as they started walking to their boat

“Costa Rica?”

“Yeah… I heard it’s beautiful” Sherlock smiled “Did you like this stop?”

“I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly” John chuckled and held Sherlock close as they walked

“We leave in the early morning; we have to go back to Havana and it will take us about three hours to drive there. I’ve already talked to some people that will take us there, the captain wanted to take us back to Havana but I just convinced him to take a few days; we’ll be needing him when we get to Colombia

“Colombia?” John looked up at Sherlock

“You’ll see when we get there” Sherlock smiled down at him and kissed him slowly “Let’s go, love” He pulled John close and walked back to their yacht

“Let’s go” John smiled and rested his head on Sherlock’s arm


	108. San Jose. March 22nd to March 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And how was it?” Sherlock had his polite smile plastered on his lips “Is Cris cooking still for the family? Or have they decided to hire somebody else? Loved what she did with the turkey and the turnips…” Sherlock hummed. ‘Mr. Smith was taken aback, he had no idea this man, of all men, had such information “Ah…” Sherlock smirked devilishly, he could hear a man shouting his name outside and getting John and his children first before getting him “Here comes my ride” He smiled and the door opened and ‘Mr. Smith’ paled, it was the British Ambassador...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I offend anyone but this is something that actually happened to a friend of mine…

The flight was prepared for ten in the morning, and Sherlock was getting desperate, he had no idea what the delay meant; and when he saw one of the agents walking towards them he understood everything. They had their flight delayed, because they had planned on going directly to San Jose and not stopping in the United States first. He knew he should call his brother, but at the same time he wanted to know why they were trying to detain him

They were taken to separate rooms, Sherlock was getting more and more infuriated with every passing second, mostly because they had taken his children to a room with Amanda and he was uncommunicated, John had been taken to another room, and he could hear he was being interrogated in very broken English about their children and his reason to be in Cuba

“Mister Holmes” A man in black, no gun, but an ear piece, greeted him

“And you are?” Sherlock tried to keep calm; it wasn’t worth it breaking noses until he knew exactly what was happening

“Let’s say I’m Mister Smith” The man chuckled and Sherlock clenched his fists

“Fine… Mister Smith” Sherlock sneered

“Do you know why you’re being detained?”  

“Oh… I could tell you many reasons…” Sherlock smirked “But I would _love_ to hear yours first”

“You know you should go to Fort Lauderdale first, before going anywhere else” ‘Mr. Smith’ smirked

“I had no idea a British citizen had to ask permission to the United States government to travel wherever he wanted”   

“Our rules apply to the world, Mister Holmes” ‘Mr. Smith’ answered smugly

“And what would your boss say to this?” Sherlock steepled his fingers under his chin “How would you end up when he realises you’ve detained a member of the British diplomatic corps?” Sherlock remained as calm as he could when he heard Hamish cry

“A diplomat?” ‘Mr. Smith’ snorted “Right…” He smirked “Not even the Queen will be able to save you after we’re done with you”

“You should call the Queen” Sherlock knew he had the upper hand and smiled smugly “I’m a close personal friend” He rested his chin in his hand and watched the man’s reactions

“Seriously?” ‘Mr. Smith’ mocked amusement “And I had dinner with the president last week”

“And how was it?” Sherlock had his polite smile plastered on his lips “Is Cris cooking still for the family? Or have they decided to hire somebody else? Loved what she did with the turkey and the turnips…” Sherlock hummed. ‘Mr. Smith was taken aback, he had no idea this man, of all men, had such information “Ah…” Sherlock smirked devilishly, he could hear a man shouting his name outside and getting John and his children first before getting him “Here comes my ride” He smiled and the door opened and ‘Mr. Smith’ paled, it was the British Ambassador, Sherlock greeted him with a nod and stood close to ‘Mr. Smith’ “Next time you threat my family I’ll make sure the only thing you’ll be able to ask from there on will be ‘Does it come with a straw?’ Understood?” ‘Mr. Smith’ nodded

“I’m sorry for the delay, Mister Holmes” The Ambassador apologised “Your brother called, he said that your pilot was worried about you and that you were taken from the plane

“Don’t worry about it” Sherlock patted the man’s shoulder “No harm done” He smiled “Thank you for your help” He waited for a formal apology, the moment he saw ‘Mr. Smith’ he smirked “Amanda?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Is the security detail ready?” He tried to hid his devious smile

“Yes, sir” Amanda smiled at him “And your husband is already waiting for you outside with the children, all documents in order, sir”

“Thank you, Amanda” He smiled at her

“Anything else, sir?”

“Yes” He looked directly to ‘Mr. Smith as he spoke “Call Agent Summers, and as soon as you get hold on him give him all the names intelligence has gathered”

“Sure thing, sir” Amanda smirked and looked as ‘Mr. Smith’ paled and had to sit before fainting

Sherlock escorted the Ambassador outside and thanked him again before returning to his plane and leaving beautiful Cuba

They arrived to San Jose two hours later than previously programmed, but Sherlock was happy to leave the incident behind and enjoy his family for a little longer. They arrived to a flat near San Jose’s Central Park. It looked almost as if Sherlock had decorated it himself.

In spite of what people usually think, the Detective was quite organised and net. His documents and experiments was another thing, but his sock index and his clothing were organised very well, John might even say to the size of the thread. The only room that looked like a bomb might have exploded was his lab, and even then, he had his own organisation system that would surpass even that of John’s military instruction.

The minimalistic decorated flat covered their every need. A small garden for the children, a playground, a pool, it even had a spa for John and Sherlock to relax. The kids’ room was actually decorated as if Sherlock himself would have spent several days getting the little knickknacks and toys he had ordered for Bell when they first arrived to Baker Street after getting her.

“Thank you, love” John leaned into Sherlock after they put the kids to bed

“Whatever for?” Sherlock smiled down at John and kissed the tip of his nose

“Everything” John smiled and nuzzled his nose “For getting this place and making it look like home”

“I had a little help” Sherlock smirked “But the place already looked really nice before I rented it”

“Mycroft’s check-up?”

“Anthea’s actually” John quirked a brow and Sherlock laughed heartily “She’s been trying to get on Mycroft’s good side again after…”

“Yeah, I noticed. But it wasn’t exactly her fault Anna faked her own death”

“No, but that was strike two… after Moriarty and Moran…”

“I don’t want to talk about that” John pulled Sherlock for a kiss and pushed him over to the sofa “I rather talk about our days here, or are you going to surprise me?”

“You know I don’t have to surprise you, you’re usually always surprised by whatever I do”

“Arse…”

“It’s true, you know it”

“Then by all means, surprise me” John smiled and went down on him, surprising the Detective

They went to visit the city, Sherlock had planned an entire week of museums, cultural centres and the best of San Jose, but he included a couple of trips to Heredia and Limón, just to give John a little bit of Atlantic.

Their last night in Costa Rica John looked worried. Sherlock had been in his mind palace for the last five hours and hadn’t acknowledged Hamish’s protests for his attention

Startled by Bell’s soft touch Sherlock focused his eyes and immediately noticed something was wrong with John, his usual happy and relaxed face looked gloomy and tense

“John?” Sherlock spoke softly

“Yes, love” John answered tiredly

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, love, why?”

“You look stressed, are you sure everything is okay?” Sherlock sat next to John and held Hamish

“It’s nothing” John shook his head and tried to smile

“I know you, please, talk to me”

“It’s really nothing” John tried again, more cheerfully

“Please?”

That was one word John barely heard and he was trapped, he’ll have to be honest “Okay…” he took a deep breath and let it out slowly “I’m afraid…” He bit his lower lip

“About?”

“You…” John let out a defeated sigh

“Me?” Sherlock quirked his brow and looked at John questioningly

“You being bored of our life… not having cases, taking such a long vacation, going to bed early, minding the kids and having such a domestic routine”

“Oh, my love…” Sherlock held John close “I’m never bored with you. I find new and amusing ways to entertain myself every single day. Planning the trip, driving, watching Mish sleep, reading to Bell…” He smiled “making love to you…” he blushed slightly

“You’ve been in your mind palace for almost five hours, Sherlock” John tried to keep a soft tone of voice but he sounded angrier than he actually was

“I’m sorry, John” Sherlock looked down and let go of John

“It’s just…” John started to pace

“I’m sorry…” Sherlock bit his lower lip and shied away

“No…” John sat back “I just worry” He took Sherlock’s hand in his and kissed his fingertips “I don’t want you to be bored….”

“Domesticity is not boring, John” Sherlock shook his head “Not with you… besides…” He scrunched his nose “I have a case in Panama, bit I really don’t want to take it. I rather spend my time with you than chasing a fraudster all over Panama City…” Sherlock winced at the idea

“So, you’ve been delaying our arrival to avoid the case…” John whispered

“Yes…” Sherlock sighed deeply “I have the file and I will take it just if you want me too…” Sherlock pecked John “I read it and been in my mind palace trying to figure out how is it that he managed to go through Customs without the police noticing he was taking over fifty million euros in his bag…”

“Fifty million!!!”

“Yes, at first I thought it was an internal job, that he had help from the guard, but the statement he gave is actually quite disturbing… he was convinced the man was moving paper…”

“You have to take the case, love, please. It’ll be a nice addition to the blog!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, my sweet love, please!” John smiled and kissed him

“I guess will be arriving to Panama first thing in the morning” Sherlock kissed John back and pulled his phone out “DI Velasco?” a silence followed “We’ll be arriving to Panama tomorrow morning” Sherlock smiled at John and John nodded happily


	109. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson. March 31st saved on drafts

**The invisible money** ( **You’re starting to repeat yourself love, S** ) (How do I frown in a blog? I’m frowning now…)

We arrived to Panama City in the early hours of March 24th. Sherlock made sure I was able to take my daughter with us, because, as you all already know; her mother passed away a few months ago.

Sherlock was contacted by a Panama City DI that was willing to pay him with a small island if he helped find a fraudster. He was able to leave the country with 50 million euros in a bag.

As usual, I was sent as the human interaction man. As you know Sherlock has called me his best man to work in some cases, mostly those he finds he can’t be bothered with ( **I did no such thing, love! S** ) (You have to keep in character, still look all detached with your glorious cheekbones and the collar of your Belstaff up! I love you!) and he sent me to interact with the Customs’ officer that was in charge of checking the fraudster

The poor Customs’ officer was out of his depth, just like the local police and the DI in charge of the case. He assured every single officer and DI that questioned him that he never saw the money, that he checked every pocket, every crevice, and that he even checked the man himself and there was nothing on him or in the bag, much less a very large amount of hundred euros notes.

Sherlock questioned the man, even with his keen eye, and his instant perception, he had to admit defeat and he himself assure all the people interested in the case, that the officer was telling the truth. He checked all the facts and found the man had no blame in the matter. As a matter of fact, the CCTV footage proved to be very useful, the man was able to smuggle to the country heaps of money and take the same amount without any of the agents noticing.

Sherlock, being Sherlock, decided on two courses of action. The first, having every single customs officer’s blood checked for drugs, from Belladonna (never want to write about THAT again) ( **I know love… I’ve never been sorrier in my entire life… I love you. S** ) (We’ll talk about it later) to Scopolamine, even though he knew the drugs may barely appear on blood screens. The second; was posing as a customs officer himself.

It turned into a game of wait and see. He already knew the man, the cover was prepared and we received all the help we could get from the British Government ( **Please, don’t remind me that I owe him yet another favour…S** ) (For the love of… We’ll talk about that later too…). They increased the CCTV security and we had an Interpol agent with us all the time ( **Good thing they don’t know you’re that Interpol man… Oh God how I love you… S** ) (How do I blush in a blog? I’m blushing)

The second day after our arrival, the man arrived to the airport from no other place than London. His bag was full of money, but none of the agents noticed anything, not even in Heathrow. Sherlock was very careful, he had already prepared in case there were any drugs in the case. He asked the man to open the bag and there it was, all the money, but as the other agent had said, it was invisible.

It wasn’t the eight Sherlock was expecting, it was barely a four, drugs, and a clever man that knew how to use aluminium foil, though it turned into an eight that ended up in hospital, again; with Sherlock in the waiting room, for a change. ( **…** ) The man was smuggling the money in bags made of aluminium foil, he’ll pack the notes as paper, apparently as notebooks, and no one would think anything about them, then he’ll use aluminium foil to create the illusion of several pieces of paper, thus creating the illusion of invisible money.

The feature of interest ( **again?** ) was the use of minimal dosages of Scopolamine in the notebooks, when the officers checked the items they would inhale the drug and wouldn’t remember a thing for over two hours, no matter they were using gloves, the drug made it to their systems anyway. 

After Sherlock discovered the scam, the man took on the run and I had to follow him, several of his thugs were waiting outside and I was outnumbered. Fortunately, they barely managed to strike once before the entire Panama police force was out the airport capturing them. It turns out he was part of an even bigger smuggling ring that was trafficking with cultural objects and the money was payment for every batch of “local crafts” he was taking out. Several private collectors around the world were “politely” asked to return the goods, that’s when the British Government fully intervened.

It’s one in the morning and I’m writing this from the hospital bed, the doctors wanted to keep me here for the night, and have me sleep… I find it impossible.... I wonder how Sherlock is doing with his goddaughter…


	110. Panama City. March 28th to April 2nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want to retire” Sherlock spoke  
> “Are you sure?” John held his breath; he didn’t want Sherlock to give up being who he was  
> “I’m absolutely sure... We can move to Sussex...” He kept moving his hand but John could feel it tremble  
> “I don’t want you to retire, love... Not yet... London can’t lose his one and only Consulting Detective”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For AtlinMerrick, nevertooldtorock, notjustmom, scrub456, darcylindbergh, dioscureantwins, sherlockian4evr, Sherlock1110, wendymarlowe, KittieHill, SamanthaLenore, hudders-and-hiddles (orphan_account), lookupkate. You have inspired me with your works and your words. Special thanks to nevertooldtorock, Eleana666 and JoannaD for reading my silly words and commenting

“JOHN!” Sherlock cried running after his husband and watching how one of the half a dozen men outside the airport hit John with the back of his gun right in the head. John fell to the ground and before Sherlock could do anything else, his legs gave away and he was falling to, unable to move. He saw as the man fired and everything went dark.

“Love?” A hand was touching his, he could hear John, but that couldn’t be, John, his John, he saw how the man shot, and he could hear the world stop around him; everything was silent “Love?” Another squeeze to his hand and Sherlock could feel the familiar touch. It was his John “Sherlock?” John’s voice, this time he was certain. He opened his eyes and there he was, his John, looking down at him from the bed, one side of his face bruised and blackened from the hit and a bandage covering his forearm.

“How are you feeling?” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand back and looked at him “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“Calm down love” John smiled but winced, his eye was still sore and his arm itched from the bullet wound “I’m perfect, my love”

“Yes, you are” Sherlock smiled and kissed John’s hand

“Are you okay?” John used his free hand to tangle his fingers with Sherlock’s hair and caressed him softly

“Yes” Sherlock whispered, closing his eyes and feeling John’s fingers “I’m just worried”

“It was just a scratch, love” John moved his hand down and rubbed Sherlock’s cheek

“But he hit you!” Sherlock tried to get up but his legs didn’t seem to want to work

“Shhh” John shushed him softly “I’m fine. I promise. It was just a scratch” He whispered and tried to calm Sherlock. Sherlock was completely wrecked, he looked tired, and he had aged over twenty years in less than two hours. John knew he was strong enough to be without Sherlock, not that he wanted to, but he also knew that Sherlock would die if something happened to him “I’m sorry love” John tried to pull Sherlock close, but his arm hurt. He was sore, his whole body ached and he was worried about Sherlock. According to the doctors, Sherlock was unconscious by the time they arrived to the hospital “Come up here” He whispered and made Sherlock look up and climb to the bed

“I don’t want to hurt you” Sherlock said but settled next to John, opening his arms to receive his battered husband

“You heal me” John kissed Sherlock’s shirt covered chest and moved his injured arm to hold him better. He heard Sherlock let a broken sob out and John held him closer, too many close calls for them, they had to stop, not yet, but soon.

“I want to retire” Sherlock spoke, breathing John and caressing his back “I can’t stand seeing you getting hurt like that”

“Are you sure?” John held his breath; he didn’t want Sherlock to give up being who he was

“I’m absolutely sure” He kissed John’s head “We can move to Sussex for the school year and then take the children to Vienna for winter and New York for the summer, or find another place to visit” He kept moving his hand but John could feel it tremble

“I don’t want you to retire, love” John kissed the words over Sherlock’s neck “Not yet” He moved up to kiss Sherlock’s nose “We can take fewer cases, maybe less dangerous ones, and in about five or six years, we can think about moving to Sussex” He smiled up “London can’t lose his one and only Consulting Detective” He kissed Sherlock softly “Not yet”

“But…” Sherlock tried but John was kissing him hard, stopping Sherlock’s brain successfully. They remained in that position until a nurse came and Sherlock had to move away from John, in the early morning the doctor released John and they were back to their hotel in no time. The first thing John did was hold his children close and then take a bath with Sherlock before going out and visit the city.

They ended up at the Contemporary Art museum and the BioMuseum. Upon Bell’s request to go to the Zoo, they went to Punta Culebra Natural Centre where Bell had the time of her life. She ran on the beach and played with the telescopes.

Panama Viejo was almost perfect, Sherlock had his fill of archaeology and Bell was able to indulge in her love for nature, following butterflies, running around feeling the grass on her bare feet.

The night before their departure, Sherlock took John to their weekly “just friends” date and walked with him as he talked about the experience of the case, how he felt when he saw Sherlock lying unconscious next to him, and how relieved he was when he felt Sherlock resting on his leg and holding his hand.

They took a night time city tour and John was fascinated with Panama. It had something about it; it was a fusion of something old and new at the same time, tall buildings and old streets. As always, their “just friends” date ended up becoming a romantic date, John kissed Sherlock all the way from the bus stop to their hotel and held his hand tightly. They hadn’t had enough time to be together since their arrival to Panama and they both felt the hunger for closeness and togetherness.

“I need you” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and John nodded up at him before giving his husband a long and lingering kiss on the lips

“Bed?” John asked in a sigh and this time Sherlock nodded “What do you want?” He asked as he pushed Sherlock’s shirt from his shoulders and kissed the scar he had learned to love

“Everything” Sherlock let out with a long, breathy sigh

John moved his hands down and freed his husband from his clothes before pushing him slowly to bed and giving him a show. He moved his hands to his hips and removed all his clothes sensuously, watching as Sherlock’s eyes widened and his verdi-azure irises disappeared behind the black pearls of his pupils. John smirked and climbed on top of him, barely giving Sherlock a chance to even breathe.

Before Sherlock could think, John’s hands were on his thighs and climbing slowly up. He moved his own hands and caressed John’s cheek, his smile disappearing momentarily for a frown at the still bruised skin under his eye.

“I’m perfect” John whispered against Sherlock’s neck

“Yes, you are” Sherlock moaned softly and pulled John for a deep kiss

When Sherlock opened his eyes everything was blurry, he had a silk scarf around his eyes and he remembered everything that happened. He still blushed every time after he had sex with John, especially when he was treated in such a way. He moved slowly and tried to reach for John but his side of the bed was empty and slightly cold. Sherlock got out of the bed and found John sleeping on the sofa with Hamish on top of him, a forgotten bottle on the coffee table and a mess of nappies and moist towels all over the living room. Sherlock smiled fondly and picked his son from his father’s arms. He put Hamish back in his cot and went to look for John; he rearranged the man softly and laid next to him. John snuggled closer and sighed happily, holding Sherlock in his arms.

The next morning, the plane was ready to take them to the next destination. Bogotá


	111. Bogotá. April 2nd to April 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ohn wanted for Sherlock to finish his story, but he also knew he needed to give him time. He followed him around the city, in the same way he had done everywhere else. Since Boston, he was staying up part of the night watching Sherlock sleep. He felt lucky he had him by his side, every single night, and since Hamish’s birth, Sherlock had been every single night by his side.

Bogotá is a bustling city. Beautiful and with a climate slightly similar to London’s; unfortunately, Sherlock was already annoyed and they hadn’t even reached the hotel yet

“What is it, love?” John reached for Sherlock’s hand and felt as the Detective relaxed a little

“How can there be so many cars at this hour of the day?” Sherlock huffed and looked out the window only to see a trail of cars going down the road and an even larger trail of cars at the side of their town car

“I have no idea, maybe something happened” John looked out the window too “But it reminds me of London somehow”

“Me too” Sherlock smirked and let out a long, relaxing breath “I miss it” He smiled sadly

“I know, love. We can go back now if you want” John suggested but Sherlock shook his head

“Not yet, besides…” Sherlock looked away and out the window again “We have a case” He muttered under his breath

“We have a case?” John pulled Sherlock’s hand and made him look back

“Yes…” Sherlock sounded tired and defeated

“When did they call?” John asked, trying to think about any upsetting calls that might have disturbed Sherlock but found none

“They haven’t called, but they sent an email” He showed John their inbox and in fact there was a message from the Colombian Army

“You want to take it?” John looked at Sherlock wistfully

“I’m not sure” Sherlock shrugged

“You should take it, love” He kissed Sherlock softly on the lips “And we’ll be very careful” He smiled and reassured Sherlock with a hand squeeze

“Your eye is still a bit black” He rubbed his thumb over the purplish mark

“It’ll heal soon” John leaned into the touch

“I’ll accept, but first I want to tell you all about my stay here” Sherlock kissed John’s eye and embraced him, taking in his sweet smell

“It’s a date” John took a deep breath and squeezed Sherlock

They arrived to the hotel after an hour and a half in the car. Heavy transit delayed their arrival and they were exhausted, Hamish was in one of his moods and couldn’t tolerate being away from Sherlock, and Bell wanted the same closeness with her Daddy Sher. In order to change scenery, Sherlock decided to take his family to the Botero Museum where Bell enjoyed herself and forgot all about not sharing Daddy with her brother and Hamish finally fell asleep.

“Interesting museum” John was fascinated by the sculptures and he was still awed with the many works from the so called “international” artists

“It’s actually a really beautiful museum” Sherlock nodded “Never been to such a place” His eyes roamed around and was baffled by the mixture of styles and the art.

“Quite violent, though” John pointed to one of Botero’s works

“Yes. This country has a history of violence, but at the same time the people here is nice and warm” He pointed to another painting that represented a party.

“How long where you here?” John held Sherlock’s hand as they walked through the museum

“For about two weeks” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “But I arrived to Bogotá in the early morning, I didn’t have much chance to see the city because I had to go to Chocó immediately. The man I’d been following had a few businesses there”

“Chocó?” John smirked at the name pronounced by that luscious voice

“Yeah, that’s the name of the region, near the coast of Colombia, very hot, is a forest, and the smell of coffee is everywhere”

“Smell of coffee? Ground coffee?”

“No, they plant coffee and it has a very sweet smell” Sherlock closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the memories to flow back and flood his mind “I arrived to a little house made of wood. I hadn’t felt so peacefully for a long time and after what had happened in Buenos Aires I needed a breather” Sherlock had his eyes closed and all he wanted was to keep feeling John’s hands in his

“Did you have the time to rest?” John asked the most neutral question he could think about, he wanted to know what had happened in Buenos Aires but he knew he had to wait

“Not really. Everything was set in motion even before I had time to arrive” Sherlock inhaled deeply again and pulled John close and started walking outside the museum

“Want to go back to the hotel?” John pulled his coat closed and embraced Sherlock closer “It’s getting a bit chilly”

“I know…” Sherlock opened his coat and hugged John with it “It takes a little time getting used to it”

“We have snow, for Christ sake!” John shivered

“It’s not the same, love” Sherlock chuckled “We should get back to the hotel… This little guy here needs a change” Sherlock patted Hamish’s back

They returned to the hotel and Sherlock planned their week at Bogotá before accepting the case. He had planned going the Gold Museum, The First Church of Bogotá, the Botanic Garden and the Archaeology Museum. As for Bell, he planned a visit to an amusement park and the child’s museum.

John wanted for Sherlock to finish his story, but he also knew he needed to give him time. He followed him around the city, in the same way he had done everywhere else. Since Boston, he was staying up part of the night watching Sherlock sleep. He felt lucky he had him by his side, every single night, and since Hamish’s birth, Sherlock had been every single night by his side.

John updated his book; he had been writing it since they started the trip and selecting the best pictures he had taken and interspersing them with the text. He tried to rewrite every single word he had heard from Sherlock, it was cathartic for him retelling the story, after all he was Sherlock’s historian and he needed, and even more, he wanted to tell what had happened, even if it was just for them; maybe at some point it would only be that, another story to tell instead of a painful memory.

John walked hand in hand with Sherlock around the Gold Museum; he was awed with the history surrounding him, each piece a part of another story. He was amazed at how much Sherlock had researched for this particular visit, explaining everything that came to sight, John was absolutely mesmerised, and all he could do was be amazed and fall more and more in love with the man that had given up his life to make him happy

Without John realising it, Sherlock had stopped talking and was looking at him with that gaze that made John shiver and wait desperately for the night, that made him forget about reason and just be what Sherlock needed, the man that was ready to please him in any way.

“I can’t wait to have you tonight” Sherlock whispered in his ear and John felt his entire body react to the words, he knew he’ll have a sweet night ahead. He tried to reply but Sherlock kissed him sweetly and John simply followed. Sherlock had a way to render him speechless every time.

As expected, John’s mind was blown; Sherlock did everything in the book and by the book. John knew he was making up for lost times and opportunities, and that it was Sherlock’s way to apologise for the case he was delaying. The next morning John woke up late, only to find Sherlock looking at him intently

“Is everything okay?” John asked, smiling up at his husband

“Everything is perfect” Sherlock took a deep breath and kissed John’s forehead “But I owe you a conversation before I take the case” He rubbed his nose against John’s

“I was wondering when that will happen” John kissed his nose and moved up to hold him

“This afternoon while Bell plays” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear. John nodded, closing his eyes and taking in Sherlock’s smell

They left the hotel and went to an amusement park, Bell was excited and immediately went for the carousel

“Are you ready?” John asked, holding Sherlock’s hand in his and stroking it

“Buenos Aires was hard on me. I was overly tired but I found a moment of peace here. It was humid and I welcomed the heat. My bones were tired, as much as my mind…” Sherlock sighed “I kept thinking you should be here, with me, but then again, I knew you were safe and that kept me going” He squeezed John’s hand “People here was very helpful and they gave me all I needed, from men to follow Milton, that was his name, to cover from the Liberation Army” Sherlock rubbed his face with his free hand “I had to use a cover, an alias, and I was supposed to change it whenever I left to another area, but it didn’t work; these men are quite clever, and they were my better cover, they kept me here as a “kidnapped” scientist that was supposed to help them get better coca leaves, when I had to leave and follow my lead back to Miami, they “killed” me, disposed of my body and I was on my way back to Bogotá in no time” Sherlock was smiling

“I’m glad you found help here” John’s smile was sad “I wish I had been here with you” He looked away and tried to hide his disappointment

“I know, my love” Sherlock kissed John’s hand and caressed it softly “I wanted nothing more than for you to be here with me” He nuzzled his neck “And now here you are and I can show you where have I been” He gave John a kiss to the check “Unfortunately” He let out a low growl “I have work to do and they require our presence tomorrow”


	112. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson March 24th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short casefic... Not all cases are fun... Not all are entertaining, but lets face it... If it give Sherlock the chance to show off and JOhn the chance to oogle... they'll do it!

**The army wives**

Sherlock was called for an international case once again. He’s been working his way around the world for quite some time and I’m glad to say that I’ve been able to share these cases with him too. He’s asked several times for me to join him in this memory tour he’s taken and I must say I’m quite temped. Sure, I’ll be missing London, but going around the world with my mad friend is more exciting than staying at my old flat, going to work every day and feeling almost like I felt while he was gone all those years ago.

Back to the case, this time the tides took us to Colombia, to be more precise, to Bogotá. Wonderful city I must tell you I enjoyed the visit quite much; maybe not as much as my daughter and her new bodyguard, but just as much. I wish I could tell you all about the city; but I actually had to concentrate on the case even before I was able to even arrive to the hotel.

Sherlock was already in Bogotá by the time I arrived, and he laid on me ( **Love, I thought this blog was about the cases! S.** ) (You know what I mean, love…) all the facts about the case. This time, a group of army wives was supposedly kidnapped by the guerrilla, and every attempt to contact them was futile, the husbands only received letters and information about them, but no proofs of life or any other way to communicate with them.

As soon as I arrived we received a letter from one of the guerrilla’s high commander saying to us that they hadn’t kidnapped anybody, that they were not to blame about the disappearance of these women; seven of them to be exact. Sherlock started to work immediately. He interviewed the husbands, drivers, maids, and every single person involved with them, they all had the same story, a letter had arrived to their homes saying the women had been kidnapped and that they should expect instructions.

After a week, there were no instructions as to what to do; not even when they called the police and the military and an alert was sent to the media. The husbands waited for another week before calling Sherlock, waiting for a proof of life, or at the very least, a demand from the kidnapers.

Several teams were deployed to look for these women, and none had come back successful, they even had a confrontation with the guerrilla and not even then, they found the women. We had to travel to several places, from Santa Martha to Chocó, running around small towns, all sweet and full of amazing and helpful people.

Following a lead, Sherlock found information about one of the women, she had been seen getting in a bus to Bogotá, and in the end a few CCTV cameras did capture her delivering the letters that arrived later that day demanding money. Sherlock followed her to Cartagena, where he found four of the women, hidden at a hotel, waiting for the money.

In the end, the women were arrested, they had an unfortunate encounter with a truck, the car they were travelling in was hit by it and three of the women had died and were left away from the road, the other four made sure no one would ever find them, one of them was alive when she was buried, Sherlock found evidence that she had tried to escape, but one of her “friends” had killed her.

All four were judged and found guilty of extortion, conspiracy and murder. Sherlock was, of course, frustrated, he thought it was a nice case, seven women disappearing without leaving a trace, probably and eight in the Sherlockian crime scale of crime, but it turned out into a “bloody three of sentiment and stupidity” ( **I never said that, love… S** ) (Yes, you did, honeybee…) ( **I didn’t! S** ) (Okay…) and the end result “of frustrated women bored to death with their husbands’ jobs” and in the end he pointed out “Do you see John, boredom can lead to do stupid thing, although I wouldn’t be as stupid as these women and end up committing murder” I simply remained silent, I know better than discuss matters of such importance with my dear friend, Sherlock Holmes.          


	113. Cartagena. April 1st to April 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They went to the old town, Sherlock rented a chaise for them to visit the old town at night. John was truly excited, they didn’t have enough time to hire one while they were in New York.  
> “It’s beautiful” John leaned his head on Sherlock’s shoulder “Hotter than I expected, though” He nuzzled Sherlock’s neck and felt him shiver  
> “Yes, and it’s quite peaceful” Sherlock rested his head on top of John’s and felt a shiver run down his spine “I’m beginning to enjoy the music, it’s no Beethoven, but…” He chuckled and moved his shoulders with the music making John laugh

“Cartagena is beautiful, the beach, the sun, the sand, everything” John was sitting next to Sherlock in one of the many sun beds at their private beach

“I’ve wanted to bring you here since the trip started” Sherlock traced John’s arm with his finger and made him shiver

“I’m so glad we finally made it here” John’s voice was an octave lower, Sherlock knew exactly how to play him

“I’m sorry I took that boring case” Sherlock ran his finger down again “I knew I should have said no, but you were so excited…” Sherlock looked away

“Love…” John managed to get his voice back and forced Sherlock to look at him “I wanted to take the case because of you” He looked down this time but held to Sherlock’s hand tightly

“I didn’t want to take the case, but you seemed so worried while in Panama…” Sherlock leaned close and rested his head against John’s

“I’m sorry, love” John scratched Sherlock head and let out a deep breath “I worry you’ll get bored, and if that happens…” He found it hard to find his voice

“I love you” Sherlock reached for John’s hand on his hair and pulled both  up for a kiss “I love you, truly, madly, deeply” Sherlock sighed and smiled “I love you so much” He had his eyes closed and seemed much younger than John could ever remember “I’ll never be bored with you… I get bored without you” Sherlock nuzzled John’s nose and left a quick, soft, yet electric kiss over John’s lips

“I want…” John whispered

“Everything” Sherlock mumbled against John’s lips

“God, yes” John husked

The walk back turned into a race to the cottage, pushing and pulling, kissing and holding hands, laughing and teasing each other until they fell together in the sofa, startling a very focused Amada that was currently feeding Hamish

“So sorry” She blushed and ran away, getting the baby and the food as best as she could. John was almost as purple as a beat and Sherlock couldn’t hide his red ears

“I completely forgot we are not alone anymore” John mumbled, letting out a frustrated sigh

“So did I” Sherlock sighed tiredly

“I…” John bit his lips and scratched the back of his head

“I know…” Sherlock looked down “Later…” He walked away and started the shower, a cold one. John followed and closed the door behind him before turning the hot water on

“To hell with later” He smirked and pushed Sherlock in the shower and ravished him, just the way he had planned. Sherlock kept as quiet as he could, and after the shower he had to rest for a moment before he could move. John had a huge smile on his lips, that not only reached his eyes, but illuminated his entire face “I rather enjoyed our little frolic” He pushed a stray curl away from Sherlock’s eyes and smiled at his husband

“So did I” Sherlock had a dreamy smile “I’m rather pleasantly surprised that you decided to follow” He reached for John’s face and pulled him close for a kiss

“I’m so glad I can still surprise you” John smirked “I guess we should get dressed and go visit this beautiful town” He moved from the bad and got hold of his blue shirt and tossed the purple one for Sherlock

“Drinks and dinner in old town?” Sherlock had a devious smile; John nodded and helped him up the bed before kissing him deeply

They went to the old town, Sherlock rented a chaise for them to visit the old town at night. John was truly excited, they didn’t have enough time to hire one while they were in New York.

“It’s beautiful” John leaned his head on Sherlock’s shoulder “Hotter than I expected, though” He nuzzled Sherlock’s neck and felt him shiver

“Yes, and it’s quite peaceful” Sherlock rested his head on top of John’s and felt a shiver run down his spine “I’m beginning to enjoy the music, it’s no Beethoven, but…” He chuckled and moved his shoulders with the music making John laugh

“I’ve never seen you like this” John was grinning “I like this Sherlock” He kissed Sherlock’s shoulder “And I’m so glad I’m the one to meet him” He smiled cheekily at him

They ended up walking around the old town and the fortress, holding hands, never minding the way people were looking at them, as far as they were concerned, they were alone in the world, they were each other’s world.

The next morning, Sherlock took his family to Rosario Islands were they enjoyed the quiet time alone. Mycroft made sure they were alone in the island, and to John’s surprise, their yacht was waiting for them. Sherlock watched as John played with Bell and enjoyed his time alone with Hamish, the little boy enjoyed the beach as much as his sister, playing with the sand and kicking with all his might whenever he felt the water touch his feet. For a four months old boy, he was quite clever and vivacious.

They returned to Cartagena in the afternoon, and Sherlock was as dazed as John was, they were back to the day when everything started, their love was stronger with every passing day and all they wanted to do was be together.

“We’ll be leaving Cartagena in four more days” Sherlock was trying to catch his breath “I know how much you enjoy the beach and I truly want to be here with you, no one else around us, phones off, and just the four of us”

“I know” John took a deep breath and let it out with difficulty. They’d been “entangled” in romantic activities since they arrived from the museum

“I’m so glad Hamish has finally relaxed enough to be with Amanda for a few hours every day, even though he still cries when anyone but me or you try to change him, feed him… well” Sherlock smirked

“He’ll get used to her soon. I’m actually happy that she’s the one helping to feed him once a night” John took another deep breath and let it out slowly, enjoying the smell of their love making.

Sherlock snuggled closer and he was snoring softly after just a few seconds. John shook his head and held him, falling asleep shortly after. A sound startled them awake and Sherlock immediately jumped out of bed and grabbed the first thing he could find to get dressed. John reached for his gun and walked right in front of Sherlock, protecting him with his body, motioning for him to stay back and signalling for him to keep quiet.

They heard hushed voices and John opened the door silently. To his amazement it was Greg literally ripping Mycroft’s clothes off. John cleared his throat when Greg reached for Mycroft’s pants and they both startled and stopped, looking at the two men in front of them, looking almost the same as they did

“And to what to we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Sherlock almost spat the words

“We thought you had left already” Greg grabbed his clothes form the floor and tried to cover his body as much as he could, whilst Mycroft stood there as proud as his erection, not affected one bit about being found out by his baby brother and his baby bother’s husband.

“Why would you think that, this is a rented chalet” John quirked a brow “I’m sure you knew we were here still” He frowned

“The truth is…” Greg rubbed the back of his neck

“We had the girls at home with us and we needed a breather” Mycroft used his poshest voice and stood there, still as proud as he was ever, and even more posh than John remembered

“I suggest we go get dressed, Amanda might come and I doubt this is a sight for her” John suggested and grabbed Sherlock’s hand pulling him to their bedroom and pushing a shirt and shorts in his hand. Sherlock’s mighty frown made its appearance but relented shortly when he heard Bell giggle and shout Mycroft’s name excitedly; sure, he was still mad about the Panama issue, but he was getting used to feel happy at the sight of his older brother.

They reconvened in the living room, all perfectly dressed, Holmes brothers as posh as ever, even in shorts and short sleeved shirts. They shared a look and told each other everything, having the silent stare down they used to have until Sherlock broke the war and started laughing heartily.

“We are very sorry for what happened” Mycroft apologised to John “John, we are truly sorry”

“I understand perfectly” John nodded and settled the issue with a single look “I know how it feels to be interrupted by kids, family members and others…” He pursed his lips “I understand perfectly” He grabbed Sherlock’s hand and pulled him for a deep kiss, not minding the look Greg and Mycroft gave him.

They spent the rest of the week with Greg and Mycroft, sharing the cottage and the city, by the end of their days in Cartagena, Sherlock had made up his mind about inviting his brother to Peru with them

“You think it’s a good idea?” Sherlock asked John once again

“Yes, love” John smiled up at him and hugged him closer “I think it’s a great idea” He kissed Sherlock’s neck and let out a puff just to feel him shiver in his arms

“I think so too” Sherlock closed his eyes   and leaned into John’s embrace enjoying the closeness

“It’ll give you time to be with him, talk and solve what happened in Panama…” John licked Sherlock’s neck and held a chuckle when the Detective flinched “And it’ll set the example for our kids on how to behave with your sibling” He licked again and Sherlock tried to hide his neck “Your brother needs this, and so do you” John kissed Sherlock’s neck and turned him in his arms “And now…” He kissed him deeply and followed the promise made that afternoon under the beach sun, that they will share a very romantic last night in Cartagena before heading to Peru            


	114. Peru. April 7th to April 27th (Máncora, Piura, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Trujillo, Huaraz)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trujillo was waiting for them, they arrived late at night, and the hotel manager handed Sherlock all the information they might need to enjoy their four days at Trujillo. The first visit, of course, was Chan Chan, the citadel. The sight was to die for. As soon as they arrived Sherlock gasped, trying to remember when he last saw something as beautiful as this site.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Perú. I followed this route while travelling across this wonderful country. I backpacked for almost three months and enjoyed my visit so much that I needed to write three chapters. I made Sherlock an archaeology aficionado, just because I’m an archaeologist, and John a photographer, because I love taking photographs of the places I’ve been and the people I’ve been with… Bear with me… In these chapters I pour my soul and the love I have for this amazing country….

Sherlock decided he wanted to drive, and what Sherlock wanted he got. John wanted to be with his husband, and if that meant having to drive across a country the as big as Peru, he’ll do it, after all, they travelled across Europe in a car. Mycroft wanted to be with his brother even if it meant having to stand hours sitting in a car, though he knew he could drive once in a while or simply ask one of his minions to drive while he chatted with his brother. Greg wanted to be with Mycroft, make up for the missed honeymoon, the misunderstanding and the time they had wasted… well… being them…

Sherlock relented in the end, after a long and rather exhausting argument with John, that he will allow people to drive them, that they will stop whenever they wanted, and that they’ll sleep wherever and whenever the need hit them, he also relented when Mycroft said they’ll use the plane to their first stop, Máncora, he gave many excuses and Sherlock simply nodded and accepted the plan

Máncora is a beautiful beach, the helicopter, flown by John, hit land near a quiet and nice looking lodge. The cottage was cosy and John immediately pulled Sherlock to their room, grabbed a pair of trunks and pulled him to the beach

“It’s fucking freezing!” John jumped out the water as if thunder struck and made Sherlock laugh

“You didn’t give me time to warn you that sometimes the water is quite cold, mostly so early in the month” He laughed heartily “Sorry, my love… you didn’t give me time” He said between heaps of laughter

“You…” John walked to him and using his upper arms’ strength pulled Sherlock to the water and dipped him to his last curl

“You…” Sherlock tried to stand and breathe at the same time “Mean…” He said trying to catch his breath after John dipped him again “Man…” he tried to get away, but John held him close. In the end, they kissed until they both were breathless, and all they wanted was to run back to their room and love each other in the only way they knew how… completely

The next day, before noon, after John and Greg ate their weight in sea food, Sherlock drove them to Piura going through La Huaca. They stayed the day and enjoyed the little town, going from the museum to the paleontological area where Sherlock was able to dig for a while (oh the British government…) until he got bored… like the two years old toddler he is… and decided he wanted to arrive to Piura that afternoon

Once in Piura, Sherlock found a cosy hotel and went to Narihuala and the Vicus museum with his family. Mycroft was amazed at how much Sherlock had memorised and planned for his family

“We should bring the girls here” Mycroft whispered to Greg and Greg nodded, befuddled by the explanation Sherlock was giving to John about the Vicus technology; he was as astonishing as when he was explaining a crime scene.

The next day, Victoria, Virginia and Vanessa were waiting for them at the hotel in Chiclayo. Sherlock had planned the next five days in the town, visiting archaeological sites, knowing his brother was a sucker for them too. Their first stop was Huaca Rajada where they visited the Lord of Sipán.

Everyone was mesmerised by the sights. The place was magical, almost out of the world, not even in Mexico they were as amazed as they were with the riches they found in Sipán. They ended up in Sicán, another museum where they found even more information about the sites and the history about Lambayeque. . Without noticing, they had spent three entire days in Lambayeque and were planning on staying two more days, just relaxing and getting to know the town, giving the children, Tori, Gini and Nessa, time to adjust, rest enough and enjoy their time as a family.

From Chiclayo they travelled to Cajamarca. Sherlock got his wish and was able to drive his family, just the four of them, while Greg took the wheel for the Lestrade-Holmes family. Six hours later, they reconvened at their hotel in Cajamarca, planning to visit the city and all the archaeological sites they could in four days.

Their first stop after a well-deserved rest, and all the food they could find… even Sherlock ate as much as he could; he had become a foodie… just because of John… was Cumbemayo, a huge archaeological site that had John gasping and Greg looking like an astonished kid everywhere. They spent the entire day at the site; even the four V’s had fun. Anthea and the security detail gave them time to be…Anthea and Amanda made sure the kids had all they needed and wanted and even offered to babysat little Bell while her parents, meaning Sherlock, played and throttled like a tow years old around the site. Next they went to Otuzco, another day went by, and John was even more in love with Sherlock by the end of that day.

“I’m going to ravish you tonight” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear and Sherlock simply smiled. When the time came by, they both were so exhausted that as soon as their heads hit the pillow they both were fast asleep. The day found them kissing, and the noises form the neighbouring rooms had them up in no time, they had a long drive ahead, and Sherlock wanted to enjoy their last day in Lambayeque as much as possible. He had planned a pig-out, and the entire family was grateful, even more after the morning they had, running around town just to please the detective and his passion

Trujillo was waiting for them, they arrived late at night, and the hotel manager handed Sherlock all the information they might need to enjoy their four days at Trujillo. The first visit, of course, was Chan Chan, the citadel. The sight was to die for. As soon as they arrived Sherlock gasped, trying to remember when he last saw something as beautiful as this site.

“I think we found a way to shut him up” Greg chuckled and made John and Mycroft laugh

“I think we did” Mycroft agreed, but he too was stunned by the sight and couldn’t help but follow his little brother in a mad dash towards the citadel. Greg and John followed, sighing and shaking their heads, rolling their eyes and enjoying the sight of two grown men prancing around like children at an amusement park.

In the early morning Sherlock pulled John out of bed, barely giving him time to wake up and he was already pushing him in the car to drive to Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna, it was another astonishing view, and John couldn´t be happier. He reflected upon the places they had been and with the photographs he was taking, he committed to memory the sights and the way his Detective looked, just like a child. The very same day they visited the Huacas of Moche museum, before going back to the hotel and rest

 Every single day Sherlock was as excited as he had been from the beginning, to his and John’s surprise, no nightmares had visited them during those days. To please John’s love for architecture, photography and old buildings, they visited the cathedral, to Sherlock’s amusement; John lost it and took photographs of every single thing he saw.

The young women, Little Bell included, enjoyed the sights as much as her parents did; and for a change, little Hamish and his eager eyes rested enough as he got used to Amanda holding him and being… sociable… with his other family members. Sherlock was content to have time alone with John, and so was John, they had missed each other even though they slept in the same bed every night. 

Their last night in Trujillo, Sherlock proposed John to go to Huaraz and John nodded eagerly; he knew whatever Sherlock had planned it would be exciting and worth of all his time and attention. The next morning, the car was ready for them and Sherlock drove all the way to Huaraz. Sherlock asked Mycroft and Greg to take care of the children for the day. Mycroft agreed, he had enjoyed the days with his niece and nephew and was on the way to convince Greg NOT to have another child.

As soon as they arrived, Sherlock took John to Llanganuco lakes at night; he had prepared a tour for the two of them, they arrived by helicopter, and had a ride in a boat and a candlelight dinner before getting on the helicopter back to their hotel. They made love that night, slowly and sweetly, just the way they had learned to do it since their first time.             

The next day, another helicopter was waiting for them and Sherlock took his family to Chavin de Huantar. Mycroft almost lost it at the sight; it was as beautiful as Chan Chan. He followed his brother around and enjoyed the day like children, playing around, talking their own language and sharing ideas about the site. Mycroft was glad his brother had decided to share this with him. He knew Peru had been a difficult trial for his brother; he had succeeded, just barely, but then he fell as soon as John Watson was out of his life…

Mycroft shook his head to get rid of the memory and held Sherlock’s hand pulling him for a hug

“I’m happy now… Myc” Sherlock mumbled against his shoulder and Mycroft simply nodded, letting go of his brother after a long hug

“I’m sorry about Panama” Mycroft looked down “I knew he would run after the man… I’m so sorry” He whispered

“I know…” Sherlock smiled softly and pulled his brother along the trail showing him the things he saw, just the way he used to do when they were children, he didn’t let go of Mycroft’s hand until John stood next to him and held his in his own. Mycroft looked at his brother go, holding his husband’s hand and couldn’t help but get a sense of loss, he watched again and he could see his little brother once again, taking excitedly about some new finding or experiment, and Mycroft’s heart shrunk and broke… he had missed so much…

Greg knew his husband, he knew he’ll need comfort that night and was ready to give it to him, he planned a romantic dinner with Anthea’s help, but in the end, he ended up holding a sobbing Mycroft all night. In the early morning, Greg talked to John and asked him to give the brothers time to be together

“I noticed Mycroft’s face yesterday, and I had already planned a day alone with you and the children” John patted Greg’s shoulder “Anthea has already planned a night out for the both of them” John smiled wickedly “The helicopter will… malfunction… right before their return” He smirked “And she found a little lodge half way to here for them to stay”

The plan worked, Mycroft and Sherlock shared a day alone, they were able to talk about everything they hadn’t talked in over twenty years. Sherlock apologised and so did Mycroft; they let out their frustration and ended up chuckling at the cleverness their better halves had displayed

“Would you like to join us in Lima?” Sherlock asked shyly “Or do you have to go and rule the world already?” He tried to joke but his voice was filled with uncertainty

“And who says I don’t rule the world from here?” Mycroft smirked devilishly and made Sherlock laugh

“I guess I’ll have to endure your presence for another week or so…” Sherlock mocked annoyance gaining a poke from his brother

“You know I love you, don’t you?” Mycroft was looking at the ceiling, darkness around them and hiding Mycroft’s obvious blush

“I had hoped so” Sherlock whispered and turned to see his brother’s silhouette “I love you too… big brother…” Sherlock sighed and turned back to look at the shadows the light outside the tiny bedroom created.

“They planned this well, didn’t they?” Mycroft turned and rested his head on his hand, lifting it with his elbow, leaning close to his brother. Sherlock turned once again and copied his brother and tried to look at him in the darkness

“Yeah, they did” He chuckled and leaned closer “Thank you” He rested his forehead over Mycroft’s and Mycroft couldn’t hold it anymore, he hugged his little brother and placed a soft kiss over his temple

“You’re such a gift to me” He told the mop of curls “I’m sorry, I truly am…” He almost sobbed but contained himself “Thank you” He breathed out and felt Sherlock relax in his arms

“Thank you” Sherlock inhaled deeply and remembered the many times in his youth when he had shared a bed with his brother and felt giddy “Feel like building a forth?” He reached for the top cover

“Wouldn’t love anything more” Mycroft smiled and helped his brother build their blanket forth. They read “Treasure Island” for the umpteenth time, Mycroft doing the voices and caressing Sherlock’s curls until they both fell asleep hidden under their dream castle.  

“How was it?” Was John’s first question when Sherlock arrived to their room

“Perfect, just like you” Sherlock reached for John and pushed him softly to the bed “Thank you, my love” He kissed John deeply and rested his head over his chest and let his heartbeat lull him to sleep.

Day found them sleeping in the same fashion. John tried to keep quiet to go and check on Hamish, but Sherlock snuggled close and mumbled his name, making him stay in bed longer.

As for Mycroft, Greg found a new man, more open and giving, unlike the man he had met and had fallen in love all those years ago.

“I love you” Greg whispered against Mycroft’s neck and he thrusted again, Mycroft moaned his answer and allowed Greg to do as he pleased, feeling absolutely happy and relaxed for the first time in many years.  


	115. Lima. April 27th to May 4th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their night was spent at one of the many restaurants in Miraflores; John had quickly learned that he hadn’t to worry about where to eat because he could find anything he wanted at walking distance from their hotel. They enjoyed the food as much as the trip and the places they had visited. John couldn’t believe how much Sherlock was eating and was happy to see him rounding up a bit and getting soft around the edges, even more the emotional ones

“Lima was a temptation” Sherlock finished as he caressed the back of John’s hand with his thumb “Fortunately I had you to think about all the time” Sherlock smiled sadly “And Gabriel and Rodrigo were here for me” He drew little hearts with his finger over John’s palm

“Let’s head back to the hotel” John pulled Sherlock close and kissed him on the cheek, leading the way back to their hotel

They had arrived to Lima in the early afternoon, after a long trip from Huaraz, and Sherlock’s first stop was Huaca Pucllana where they had a beautiful sight of the ruins from the restaurant. Sherlock decided he wanted to tell John all about his stay at Lima before their days in the city truly began.

They sat at an outside table where John sat as close as he could to Sherlock and held his hand while he looked, amazed, at the ruins in front of him. They ate, toured the ruins and ordered some coffee to keep the table until late at night when the ruins were illuminated by the light from the restaurant and the light works

“I arrived to Lima in the night. I was getting used to travel by plane instead of by car or train. As you witnessed, some of the roads aren’t exactly… well-maintained…” Sherlock looked away at the ruins and squeezed John’s hand harder “Rick flew the plane to Lima, and I arrived to Callao late at night. I didn’t even went through customs, I was already dead, as my “body”, well, my other identity, had been “found” in the river near the frontier with Brazil. Once again I was a ghost and had to work undercover, being zero once again” Sherlock’s voice was hollow, and so were his eyes; John knew he needed to keep silent and let the man say his peace.

“I had to follow Milton here. It was actually the first time I met him face to face, even though he had no idea who I was or why I was after him…” Sherlock sighed deeply “He just simply dismissed me and continued plotting on how to take over the Peruvian drug market, or at least the production of raw material” Sherlock let out a long breath “I was supposed to be a scientist in charge of increasing the production of coca leaves, I was supposed to have found a formula to improve the soil and the quality of the leaves…” Sherlock was shivering and John just held his hand and patted it softly knowing how things truly worked now

“That’s when we met. He handed me the information I needed to take down Moriarty’s network in Peru. I sent everything to Number Four and she made sure that people were arrested, networks taken down and new bosses stablished, replace the greater evil for a lesser one” Sherlock shuddered “Lima proved to be quite… difficult… It was a temptation…” Sherlock closed his eyes and John held his trembling hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly

“We are in the nicest part of Lima” Sherlock explained “Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco and Surquillo are very posh, but when you go to other places, such as Pucusana and even Callao are places where you can see the social differences in the same population”

“Much like London” John sighed

“Much like everywhere” Sherlock frowned sadly

“Would you take me there?” John asked softly

“I’ll take you everywhere” Sherlock whispered against John’s lips

“Let’s go” John pulled Sherlock up and held him close

“At those places I was able to find whatever drug I might have fancied” Sherlock held tighter to John’s hand as they walked “Lima was a temptation” He finished “Fortunately I had you to think about all the time” He tried a smile “I love you so much, John” He leaned closer and kissed John’s neck “We’re here” He pulled John to the door of their hotel and practically ravished him in the lift

After a very romantic night, when all was forgiven and forgotten, and John gave Sherlock exactly what he needed, they left the hotel to visit Lima. Their first stop was the Larco museum. Sherlock was like a kid once again and Mycroft was there for him and with him, just like he had promised. At Larco they ate and enjoyed the day with the children playing for a while in the garden.

Their night was spent at one of the many restaurants in Miraflores; John had quickly learned that he hadn’t to worry about where to eat because he could find anything he wanted at walking distance from their hotel. They enjoyed the food as much as the trip and the places they had visited. John couldn’t believe how much Sherlock was eating and was happy to see him rounding up a bit and getting soft around the edges, even more the emotional ones

Sherlock took his family to every museum available, visiting three at the time, Amanda and Anthea took care of the children and the little miss enjoyed her days in Lima at the many parks and attractions, such as Miniworld, Divercity and the Park of Legends. One special night, Sherlock took his entire family, meaning the Lestrade-Holmes and the Watson-Holmes to the Magic Water Circuit where they all were mesmerized by the beautiful lights and music, Bell truly enjoyed the violin music and the light effects while Mozart was being played

As promised, Sherlock took John to La Victoria, Chorillos and other places and showed him where he had stayed, he even listed the places where he could buy and use

“At some point… I don’t recall exactly when… I was so tired of everything, and I knew I still had a lot of work to do… I knew I had to come back for you, to you… But I was so tired and I kept thinking, just one hit, one more, that was all I needed to end everything, to get lost in the nothingness my life already was” Sherlock bit his lower lip to stop it trembling “I’m so sorry, my love… I shouldn’t say anything like this to you… After all, it was you what kept me alive, fighting, just the idea of you, your smile, your eyes, and I knew that if I used you’ll be disappointed in me”

“If you thought you’ll disappoint me, then why you used before the Moriarty fiasco?” John asked, softly, knowing it was a sore issue between them

“The truth is…” Sherlock looked down “The first time I used after I returned was because you had just got married and I hadn’t heard of you for a month” Sherlock looked away and tried to hide his face from John

“Look at me, love, please” John urged him softly

“Sorry…” Sherlock let out a breath “I’m sorry”

“No, just tell me” John caressed Sherlock’s cheek “Please, my love” He whispered close to Sherlock’s lips

Sherlock sighed, defeated “The second time…” He took a shaky breath “It was because I knew it was a suicide mission… I was planning on being dead before the plane landed…” Sherlock let the tears flow freely and John just held him; he knew what Sherlock had done and was glad he hadn’t succeeded

“I love you, sweet, amazing, incredible man” John held him tighter “I love you and I thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me” John parted from him, not ever wanting to be away from his beloved man.

“My John” Sherlock leaned close and inhaled deeply, John’s sweet smell soothing him, making him feel home “Ready for our next stop?” He asked in a breath

“More than ever” John smiled up at him

Sherlock took him to Pachacamac and they spent the afternoon at the site, John loving the way Sherlock enjoyed the sights, Sherlock enjoying John’s hand in his and finding the world much easier to bear while together. Their next stop was, to John’s suggestion, the Hard Rock Café in Lima for their “just friends” date. Their last day in Lima was spent in a Mirabus, they took the nightly tour of Lima with the children and ended up having tea and sandwiches at the Ritz

The next morning, very early, Sherlock was ready to drive his family to their next stop, Huancayo            


	116. Peru, May 4th to May 24th (Huancayo, Pisco, Paracas, Ica, Nazca, Ayacucho, Cusco, Arequipa, Puno)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m so glad we decided to bring the children to this trip, but I think we should plan yearly visits to the countries we’ve visited and help them create nice memories” Sherlock was holding John that night in their bed and was thinking about the day they had spent together  
> “That would be nice” John reached back and carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair, he loved being the little spoon “Maybe once Hamish is ten or eleven we can start traveling with them” John snuggled closer

“Sherlock, please” Mycroft insisted for the hundredth time “It will be best to take the plane” He looked at his brother, begging with his eyes “for my Godchildren?” He knew where to hit

“Fine” Sherlock relented; his kids’ comfort was first for him “But I’ll drive the rest of the way” Sherlock pouted and John kissed him. He was grateful that Sherlock had accepted traveling by plane

They arrived in less than two hours to a place exclusively reserved for them. Anthea/Number Four had arranged everything for them, the plane landing, the rooms, the visits; everything Sherlock and Mycroft might need, thus trying to get on Mycroft’s good side again

Huancayo proved to be everything Sherlock expected; they spent the day at the Wanka Identity Park where Bell had the chance to play with her parents the entire morning. In the afternoon, Mycroft convinced Sherlock, once again, to take the plane to Pisco.

Once there, Sherlock planned their visit to Paracas where they visited the site and the museum. Sherlock deduced the way the mummies had died. They visited the Necropolis before returning to their hotel to rest. The next morning Sherlock was ready to lead his family to the caverns and their last day in Paracas; he treated John with a day at the beach. It wasn’t as cold as John thought and was grateful to be able to share the day with his children, smiling fondly at his little Hamish and his surprised face every time he felt the water wet his little feet.

Bell was even more excited about the birdies, the flamingos and penguins. At Ballestas Islands they saw pelicans and condors and Bell wanted all the birds and feathers. The seals made her squeal and want to touch every single one, crying every time the animals got away from her. To her pleasure, she was even able to swim with dolphins again. Sherlock regretted that Hamish was too little to remember and hoped that one day they were able to give their children another trip like this one, even if it took them many more years than now.

“I’m so glad we decided to bring the children to this trip, but I think we should plan yearly visits to the countries we’ve visited and help them create nice memories” Sherlock was holding John that night in their bed and was thinking about the day they had spent together

“That would be nice” John reached back and carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair, he loved being the little spoon “Maybe once Hamish is ten or eleven we can start traveling with them” John snuggled closer and started rubbing against Sherlock

Sherlock moaned softly, and before he could think he was helping John out of his pants and desperately rutting against him. It was quick, almost rushed, but very pleasant for the both of them; after all, it had been a few days since they had shared a full moment of intimacy, between the exhausting days out, the fights between Nessa, Gini and Tori, Hamish crying his lungs out every single time anyone but Sherlock or John tried to held them and Bell wanting to stay at her parents’ bed every night.

They knew they could get interrupted any minute, but John was willing to go as fast as they needed to, and to his pleasure, Sherlock wanted to go fast, and even a bit rough. Completely satisfied they pretended to be asleep when they heard Greg and Mycroft crash into their room and get off at their small sofa, and they pretended to sleep when they were interrupted by Greg’s daughters, and were finally asleep when the Lestrade-Holmes finally left them alone       

Sherlock finally got what he wanted and could drive from Pisco to Ica. The drive was quite interesting, even though it was short. He was able to talk to John, allow John to take pictures, stop whenever they wanted, and most of all, they didn’t have to endure the Lestrade girls fighting. Once in Ica, Sherlock planned an entire day in Nazca, and John was amazed with the lines, at first he couldn’t see anything but then Sherlock did the amazing and had him flying a helicopter above them, suffice to say that that night John repaid Sherlock profusely.  

After long convincing and a small fight between John and Sherlock, the latter relented once more and accepted to use the plane to go to Ayacucho, it was for the best, that way Sherlock would be able to spend the entire day at Wari site and museum, just like he wanted, instead of waiting an entire day before going to the citadel.

They spent the next day at Vilcashuamán, were Sherlock showed, once again, that he loved archaeology. Sherlock asked John to go and share a day out with Greg, away from Mycroft and the children, John wasn’t exactly keen of the idea, being used to stay all day long with Sherlock, but he decided it was for the best to give Greg a day off.

“Thank you” Greg sighed heavily and leaned back into the car seat

“What are friends for?” John smiled at him

“I’m going crazy” Greg breathed deep “They are driving me crazy” He closed his eyes and rested his head on the headrest “I thought they’ll be too busy enjoying the trip to fight” He rubbed his eyes, feeling more tired than ever

“Have you tried to talk to them?” John asked starting the car and deciding to take his friend to a bar he had seen and share a few piscos.

“Not really… I don’t know what to say”

“That you loved them?” John suggested

“And after that?”

“That you want to be a family, that you want them living with you”

“And Myc?”

“Talk to him, see how he feels, ask” John looked at his friend with a deep frown “Don’t let time pass again… Remember Christmas”

Greg nodded thoughtfully and decided to talk to his family. After four piscos, and all soured up he went back to his family and had an honest talk to them, Mycroft agreed to have the girls with them under one condition, no fighting allowed, the girls finally stopped fighting and decided to let their parents enjoy the trip.     

Their next stop was Cusco, and Sherlock agreed to go by plane instead of wasting twelve hours on the road. As usual, Sherlock had planned an entire week at Cusco, four days in Aguas Calientes with a long visit to Machu Picchu. The hotel was beautiful, the food amazing, and Sherlock couldn’t stop talking about the day at Machu Picchu. He enjoyed the ride in the train to Aguas Verdes and the bus up to Machu Picchu; he even enjoyed the guided tour of the ruins and was willing to pose for every picture John wanted to take.

After four days in Aguas Verdes, where they rested, shopped at the market, enjoyed the hotel and a helicopter trip over the ruins, they returned to Cusco and visited every single museum they could, form The Regional History museum to the Archaeology museum and Coricancha.

They went to Sacsayhuaman; Chinchinero, Moray, Maras, Paucartambo and Andahuayllas, before going to Wiracocha’s temple. Sherlock wanted to stay longer, a week wasn’t enough for him, but he had agreed to meet his friends in La Paz before the end of the month. Their days in Peru were coming to an end.

They landed in Arequipa where Sherlock took his family to the Cathedral and the Sumbay caves before going to the Misti volcano. John enjoyed the hike, even though Sherlock complained the entire time about the cold, the lack of oxygen, his missing the children, and other stuff that John simply muted by kissing him deeply, smiling up at him and holding his hand, no more tricks were needed, just be there for him and with him.

Their last stop in Peru was Puno., they travelled by train from Arequipa and Sherlock, as always, was as excited as his daughter, even though he was cold and couldn’t think properly because he was lightheaded.  Sherlock was mesmerized by the Titicaca Lake and all the colours and edifications surrounding it, and the bulrush boats or “Caballitos de Totora”, which moved around the lake. They visited the floating Island of Uros, Taquile and Amanti, where Sherlock tried to explain John about the flora and fauna of the place, but John was too distracted trying to avoid the “seasick” feeling he was getting.

Their last day back in Puno it was time to say goodbye; John promised to take care of Sherlock, just the way he always did, while Sherlock made Greg promise he will take care of Mycroft.


	117. La Paz. May 24th to May 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I used coca” He answered “The same infusion they gave us at Puno and the one they handed us when we arrived to the hotel” John closed his eyes and let out a breath he’d been holding “I didn’t use drugs, love” Sherlock looked at John and kissed him deeply  
> “I know” John kissed him deeper “I’m sorry” John mumbled against Sherlock’s lips “It’s just that…”  
> “You worry” Sherlock held John’s head in his hands and looked him in the eyes “I know. And I love you for that” Sherlock kissed him again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on, I'll be posting as soon as I'm done writing. I hope I can finish beofre moftiss ruins my life again. Thank you for reading. Love you all!

“Saying that La Paz was challenging is an understatement” Sherlock was holding John’s hand and looking outside the window at the wellness centre in the hotel. They decided to enjoy a relaxing moment alone and reserved the Jacuzzi “I had problems breathing, eating, sleeping…” Sherlock sighed “You name it…” He looked away and took a deep breath “I was dizzy most of the time, no matter what I ate I felt sick…” He closed his eyes and rested his head next to John’s “I really don´t know how I managed to finish my work here” Sherlock rubbed John’s leg with his own, looking for more comfort

“How did you manage to work in the end?” John asked, not at all eager to know the answer

“I used coca” He answered “The same infusion they gave us at Puno and the one they handed us when we arrived to the hotel” John closed his eyes and let out a breath he’d been holding “I didn’t use drugs, love” Sherlock looked at John and kissed him deeply

“I know” John kissed him deeper “I’m sorry” John mumbled against Sherlock’s lips “It’s just that…”

“You worry” Sherlock held John’s head in his hands and looked him in the eyes “I know. And I love you for that” Sherlock kissed him again

“What exactly did you do here?” John asked with a hair of voice

“I was supposed to be following Milton, he had asked me to come to Bolivia and help him with the production; he was convinced that the chemical I had created was going to work, but what it did was simply make the leaves a bit greener, and that was that… I was afraid that he’ll find what I had done, and the moment they saw it might happen, Mycroft sent me to Buenos Aires when everything went to hell…” Sherlock remembered Buenos Aires as well as he did Serbia

“How did that happen?” John looked at Sherlock with worried eyes “I thought you had it all covered. You said that while in Peru all you had to do was pretend to develop this “super food” and that he was convinced, how could all have gone to heel in such a short time?” He was befuddled

“Because he noticed I had a contact outside the lab and he thought I was delivering samples of the formula I had created and he simply wanted to kill me. He sent one of his men to deal with the “rogue” scientist…” Sherlock looked away again and John knew exactly why

“Don’t say it, love” John whispered

“I have to” Sherlock let out in a breath “I had to kill him with my bare hands…” He closed his eyes

“He sent another man?”

“He did, that’s when Mycroft got me out and sent me to Buenos Aires where Milton had no idea I had already located his men”

“Where did you stay here?”

“At the facility Milton had… That was the first time I noticed the experiments in humans, but nothing as gross as to what I saw in Belarus, but they’d been experimenting long ago…” Sherlock was shivering and John knew it was time to rest. The trip, the intense days, being with Mycroft and Greg, and the altitude, had Sherlock more “sensitive” than ever

“Let’s go to bed, love” John pulled him off the Jacuzzi and helped him in the bathrobe, leading him to their family suite where the children were already asleep.

“I wanted to tell you everything” Sherlock tried to pout but sudden exhaustion got the better of him and John had to carry him to their room

The next day, after sleeping for over seven hours, a quite rare occurrence, Sherlock woke to Hamish’s gurgles and soft sounds, and to Bell’s soft patter around their bed. He picked the little girl up and held her for a small eternity, inhaling deeply her sweet camomile aroma, he put her in the bed and she snuggled close to her Daddy John. Sherlock picked his son up and enjoyed the warmth from his little body, settling the little baby on his chest and enjoying a few more minutes of his little family, before getting up to order breakfast and take  them to visit the city

They took the children to Salmón de la Barra Park and watched Bell play while they sat with little Hamish. Sherlock took a deep breath and John’s hand in his as he decided to continue his story

“Before my trip to Buenos Aires, I had to pretend to die. The man Milton sent went with the news that he had found a body, supposedly mine. I truly don´t know if it was a real body, or a lie, or if Mycroft had killed someone that might have looked like me. All I know is that the face was unrecognizable, but the sizes matched quite perfectly, even the scars…” Sherlock was shivering and all John could do was hold him, be silent and wait “After that… I was a ghost again…”

John squeezed his hand; that was enough; he didn’t need to hear anything else about what had happened. The same story repeated all the time, Sherlock became no one, a killing machine, a tortured body, a ghost, all for him “I don’t want to know anything else” John shook his head and closed his eyes

“No guilt” Sherlock moved closer and held him in his arms, Hamish in the middle

“I can’t help it” John’s voice wavered “I feel like If we hadn’t you wouldn’t…”

“I wouldn’t be here, looking at my beautiful daughter play and holding my beautiful son in my arms, and I wouldn’t be with my loving husband by my side” Sherlock interrupted John’s rambling with a kiss “We already agreed” He looked at John right in the eyes “No guilt”

John smiled up at him and kissed the tip of his nose “No guilt” Although Sherlock knew better, he let the moment pass and simply held John’s hand. That night, as Sherlock expected, the nightmares didn’t make themselves wait and all Sherlock could do was hold John and reassure him with his words of love.

After a rather restless night, Sherlock decided to have dinner with Gabriel and Rodrigo to get the elephant out of the room before John got worst. John agreed, though he wasn’t pleased with the decision and made Sherlock know, quite rudely, that he was okay and that he didn’t need to be reassured. If it weren’t for the way he told Sherlock that, he would have believed him.

Dinner was set; Gabriel and Rodrigo were waiting for them at Sumaq Mikhuy (Good Food), a South American food place, Like the other, Rodrigo and Gabriel were truly happy to see Sherlock, and even more surprised to see him with John by his side, holding his hand proudly

“It’s nice to finally meet you, John” Rodrigo greeted him and shook his hand

“Nice to meet you too” John tried a smile but failed miserably “Sorry. I had a long day” He looked away and tried to avoid any contact with either of them

“I totally understand” Gabriel commented, as if nothing had happened “Shall we eat” He changed the subject and tried to make John comfortable

During dinner, John stayed mostly silent and heard Gabriel and Rodrigo talk about what had happened with Sherlock and the way he had helped a lot of people getting rid of the “Russians” as they called all the eastern Europeans “He was unstoppable” Rodrigo pointed at Sherlock “And all he talked about was how you helped him all the time and the way you did things” He smiled

“At some point, he kept calling us “John” and all we could do was follow him” Gabriel added and made John smile for the first time that night

“Yes, that he did” Rodrigo laughed, letting out a relieved breath, they had made John relax, finally “At some point we stopped correcting him” He chuckled

“And we answered whenever he called us John” Gabriel finished the sentence “We read your blog after he left, that’s when we understood why he kept calling us “John”. He’s quite… obsessed… with you” Gabriel made Sherlock blush and John leaned on Sherlock’s shoulder and sighed contently

“I’m quite obsessed with him too” John inhaled deeply “That’s why I write him like that” He smiled widely and kissed Sherlock’s cheek, make him blush even deeper. Rodrigo and Gabriel just chuckled and looked away, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

After dinner, a completely relaxed John, led his husband to their room and to bed, and decided to hold him all night, be there with and for him, just the way they were meant to be, he whispered “I love you” until he fell asleep

After they enjoyed the city, visiting the Calle Jaén Museums, the Coca Museum, the Textile Museum and the Lanza Market, they spent the day at the National Archaeology Museum and decided to visit Potosí, Sucre and Tiwanaku, missing on visiting Uyuni, although Sherlock promised to bring John in years to come. The next morning, having the plane back, the family left to Asuncion.


	118. Asuncion and Montevideo. May 31st to June 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hate when I make you feel guilt, or as if you could have done something in order to prevent what happened in the end... You should know that the outcome would have been worst if you had intervened...

“I spent one night in Asunción before I went to Argentina” Sherlock held John’s hand a kissed it before continuing “I had time enough to rest and prepare for what will come in Argentina. I knew Buenos Aires would be quite dangerous, though I never imagined how much” He sighed

“Did you have to follow someone here, or do something?” John asked, as calmly as he could

“No, it just was a rest stop” Sherlock smiled at John “I’m glad you’re feeling better, love” Sherlock kissed John’s cheek this time “But there is something I have to tell you” Sherlock looked at John and he could see how his face fell “Nothing to worry, my sweet love” Sherlock reassured John

“Fire away, then” John held his breath

“I hate when I make you feel guilt, or as if you could have done something in order to prevent what happened in the end” Sherlock moved closer and held John to his heart “You should know that the outcome would have been worst if you had intervened” Sherlock kissed John’s neck and caressed his stomach slowly “He threatened to kill you, and you already know I can’t live without you” Sherlock moved his hand higher and rested it over John’s heart “You’re my heart, and he threatened to burn you” Sherlock rubbed his nose on John’s ear “I love you, my sweet love” Sherlock kissed John’s ear and felt him shiver

“I’ll treat it as a story from now on” John turned in Sherlock’s arms “Another story for our blog, just an adventure, or a trip” John smiled softly and kissed Sherlock fully on the lips “Now… to the next order of business” He smirked

“John…” Sherlock tried to warn, but I was too late, John was already on top of him

After a dreamy night, Sherlock took his family to tour around Asuncion, but instead of visiting museum and historical sites, Sherlock decided to give John relaxing days and nights, a small vacation of their vacation. Their mornings were lazy, spent at the Costanera, or a park with Bell, they went to the zoo and the botanical garden; their nights were to play with each other, explore new ways to make love, to kiss, to hold, to talk, and sleep. John felt more at home than ever, and Sherlock was happy that his John was finally relaxing after what had happened in Bolivia

After their leisure days in Asuncion, Sherlock decided to take John to at least one place that represented Paraguay; they went to the Independence house and to the Museum of Clay, only to quench his archaeological thirst. Hamish, the ever growing baby, had his eyes on one of the Guarani’s pottery objects and squealed excitedly at it until Sherlock took him back to the piece and the baby calmed down

“My clever boy” John rubbed Hamish’s cheek tenderly “An archaeologist, just like Daddy” He smiled and nuzzled the baby’s neck and blew a raspberry

“He’s been very active lately, and now he’s sleeping even more” Sherlock ruffled the auburn mop of curls that was currently growing on top of Hamish’s head “He’s trying to talk already” Sherlock turned the baby in his arms and repeated “papa” over and over until Hamish let out a loud “Paaa” and made them both smile

Their first night in Montevideo, Sherlock took John to a Dinner and Tango show. John was mesmerized by it, but what befuddled him even more was the fact the Sherlock knew how to dance tango. John tried not to feel jealous about the lady that was currently dancing with his husband, and then he had to fight his arousal when he saw the way he moved, with such authority, strength… he looked utterly manly and… just… delicious

John had to fight the urge to trample him and have his way with him on the dance floor, but when Sherlock held him and had him dancing, directing him almost perfectly, John knew that the night was only beginning and that his wonderful husband would make him feel even more loved and adored in just a couple more hours.

“Oh God, Sherlock!” John moaned for the umpteenth time that night, feeling the way Sherlock moved against him, and as happy as ever that they had recovered their love making rhythm

“John, my John” Sherlock panted in John’s ear and kissed it sloppily as he thrusted again

Morning found them holding each other; John nestled in Sherlock’s arms, his head on the crook of his neck, their legs entangled, his fingers entwined in Sherlock’s hair, completely warm and relaxed

“Morning my love” Sherlock’s deep voice roused him from his slumber “Do you want to stay in? Sherlock ran a hand down John’s spine

“We could go out” John kissed Sherlock’s neck “Later” He nuzzled Sherlock’s ear and closed his eyes again, he wanted to stay like that for ever

“As you wish” Sherlock held him tighter

When they finally made it out, John was excited to visit Montevideo and the Car Club of Uruguay. He wanted to see the vintage cars and share with Sherlock one of his passions, even though Sherlock had already indulged him in driving a motorbike at Le Mans. As a surprise, Sherlock took John to the Municipal Centre of Photography, but not before John took him to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum and the Andes Museum.

One of the days in Montevideo, they took the children to Punta del Este and had them play at the beach and to a show made exclusively for children. Bell had the time of her life, she laughed happily and played with her brother and the other children as the performers had the kids participate in the games.

An exhausted Bell was fast asleep right after he bath and her bedtime story, The Raven, once again, but Hamish was another thing. He was fussy, and all he wanted was for his father to hold him, no matter what. Sherlock had to keep the boy on his chest the entire night, while John tried to calm the baby with hushed tones, but every time he talked, Hamish would cry louder; that night, Hamish said his first word, it was “Dada” and he was looking at Sherlock

“Oh, well” John smiled and ruffled the auburn haired head before leaving a kiss on top of the mop of curls

“I know” Sherlock’s smile was so wide it made John’s heart flutter “I hope he sleeps soon. I want to celebrate his first word” Sherlock could hold it in him, he was to happy and to excited to think about anything else but share the joy

“I’ll give a round and check on the other boss. Let’s hope he’ll fall soon” John kissed Sherlock tenderly and went to check on their little girl. His exit worked like a charm and before Sherlock knew it, Hamish was fast asleep in his arms. He finally rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes ‘just for a second’ he thought, when he opened them again, John was resting next to him, his eyes close, breathing even, and one of his hands rested firmly on Sherlock’s hips; Hamish and the light of late morning bathing their room

“I’m sorry I fell asleep” He whispered against John’s neck “Morning, love”

John stirred and ran his hand down Sherlock’s back “S’okay” John mumbled and nuzzled Sherlock’s head “Morning, my sweet love” He kissed the words on Sherlock’s head

“I had the entire last day planned” Sherlock tried to lift his head but John was so warm and he was so comfortable that the least he wanted was to move, ever again

“We can leave tomorrow, can we?” John asked the mop of curls

“Of course we can” Sherlock tried to stifle a yawn and made John chuckle

“Then we leave tomorrow” John snuggled closer and held his still sleepy husband to his chest, enjoying the few moments of freedom before Amanda returned with the children from the park.

They slept for another two hours, loner than they had planned, but not enough, and shared a shower later, where, suffice to say, John was frisky and Sherlock was more than happy to please him; they had a late breakfast and were ready to enjoy their last day in Montevideo with a city tour that ended in one of the many Dinner and Tango shows, where John enjoyed dancing tango with his mad husband once again, and the romantic night that Sherlock had planned.

In the early morning, even before John could notice what was happening, they were ready to leave Montevideo    


	119. Buenos Aires. June 7th to June 19th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...I knew that no matter what, the outcome would have been the same, either I died, or you would... No matter what, I had to die...

“Buenos Aires is so big!” John’s eyes were wide, trying to catch everything that went before his eyes

“Yes, it’s a big city” Sherlock smiled at his husband

“And you had to come here?” John looked at Sherlock and couldn’t help the smile in response

“Yup” Sherlock nodded “I actually liked the city. It reminded me a bit of London and it somehow made me miss you less” He kissed John’s hand

“I’m glad to hear that” John looked away but turned his head and looked deeply in Sherlock’s eyes “Although I have to say that I love to hear you missed me while you were away”

“I did, so much” Sherlock pulled John close and kissed the top of his head “I kept on thinking on different ways of saving you and staying alive…” Sherlock closed his eyes briefly and remembered the fall “I kept thinking on calling you, asking you to come, what could I have done differently, how I should have acted…” Sherlock bit his lower lip

“No guilt” John kissed him and Sherlock nodded

“No guilt, Sherlock repeated “But in the end, I knew that no matter what, the outcome would have been the same, either I died, or you would…” Sherlock carded his fingers on John’s hair “No matter what, I had to die…” he rested his forehead on John’s and inhaled deeply “I love, so much, John… I’ve loved you for so long…” He leaned down for a kiss, John responded in kind, with the same hunger, lust, love and sweetness

“I love you” John whispered against Shelrock’s lips, and kissed the words on his neck and shoulder “How long before we arrive to the hotel

“Another ten minutes” Sherlock sighed and rested his forehead on John’s

“And where’re we going, exactly” John asked Sherlock’s lips

“To Recoleta” Sherlock kissed back, not wanting to part from John’s lips

“I meant the hotel” John sighed and enjoyed the shiver that ran down Sherlock’s body

“Then you should have asked where’re we staying” Sherlock nuzzled John’s nose

“Arse” John chuckled and moved his lips to Sherlock’s ear

“Your arse” Sherlock squeezed John’s buttock

“So” John nipped Sherlock’s ear

“So, what?” Sherlock held a moan

“The hotel” John sucked his neck

“Alvear Palace” Sherlock let out the moan, finally, and John smirked against his neck before releasing Sherlock’s skin

“Evil” Sherlock husked and sat back “I found us a deluxe suite” Sherlock explained “But instead of a meeting table, they’ll place a cot for Mish and a bed for Bell” Sherlock explained and let out a low growl when John’s fingers grazed his clothed upper thigh “Stop, teasing” Sherlock warned with a low, hungry voice

“Or…” John challenged and sat back

“Remember Italy” Sherlock smiled deviously and John swallowed hard

“Remember last night” John quirked his brow enticingly

“Remember this morning…” Sherlock bit his lower lip and reached for John, who didn’t have anywhere to run

“We’re here” The drive cleared his throat and John blushed

They entered the room and the manager was pleased to see Sherlock’s happy face when he inspected the room.

As soon as the manager left, John reached for Sherlock and held him “Where were we?” He asked Sherlock’s neck and the arse, because he’s and arse, pushed him gently, picked Hamish up and walked away

“Hurry, John” He reached for the door and turned around “Too much to see, too little time” He smirked at John’s face and turned back “Right after I have my way with my gorgeous husband” He reached for John and kissed him just the way John loved. Sherlock put Hamish back in his buggy, the baby already asleep, he called Amanda and asked her to take Bell to the indoor pool “Shall we” He nipped John’s ear and John nodded. They’d been teasing each other all day long, since even before walking out their hotel room in Montevideo

The next day they left early to Museo del Patrimonio, before going to the Beatle Museum, in the night they had dinner at one of the many restaurants in Recoleta.

During their walk around the Botanical Garden “Carlos Thays” Sherlock sat next to John in one of the benches as they watched Bell play. Little Hamish was in his buggy and Sherlock was looking at him; he reached for John’s hand, took a deep breath and closed his eyes

“More than physical torture, Argentina represented a sort of…” Sherlock inhaled deeply “Mental… torture” He closed his eyes and john could feel him tremble “After I “died” in Bolivia, I had to flee the country and stay undercover while following Milton…” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand making his presence even more noticeable “I lost the lead for a while, but not because I neglected to follow him, but because I had the first glimpse of what I discovered later in Minsk” Sherlock was shivering, even though they were warmly wrapped up

“They had a laboratory where they were experimenting with blood” Sherlock looked at Hamish intently “They were using women to have children, and those children were being used to collect mother cells, blood, and… organs…” He reached for little Hamish’s foot and rubbed it softly

“They were experimenting like they did in Minsk?” John asked with a low voice and watched his daughter run past by them giggling and smiling

“Not exactly” Sherlock shook his head “They were collecting blood samples from new-born babies and the ones that matched whatever they needed, were…” Sherlock leaned his head on John’s shoulder and couldn’t talk anymore

“It’s okay, love” John reached for Sherlock’s head and caressed it softly, twining his fingers on Sherlock’s curls “It’s over know and I don’t need to know anything else” John whispered in Sherlock’s ear   

“They made me watch” Sherlock said with a hair of voice “They made me experiment on them…” He whispered “And when I refused…”

“They tortured you?” John couldn’t believe it

“They made me watch how they killed them…” Sherlock was sobbing “They had me in a room for three days watching as they harvested baby after baby… I had to pretend to be unmoving for them to let me go… after three days of me sitting there, just watching, they thought I was ready to perform the experiments they were requesting…” Sherlock reached for Hamish again “Mycroft had them all killed the moment Gabriel called him” Sherlock’s gaze was lost in the memory “I walked over their corpses, recognising some of the men I’d been following since Boston”

“He…?” John had no idea how to phrase the question

“With his bare hands?” Sherlock shook his head “He’s still too lazy” Sherlock tried a smile “But I think he did killed one or two, the doctors, for sure” Sherlock shuddered

“Been there” John held Sherlock’s hand in both of his and kissed him “I killed a man for torturing children…” John looked at Hamish “I just pulled my gun out, shot him and walked away, never felt better about killing a man…” John looked down but faced Sherlock once again “And I’ll do it all over again, no regrets”

“None, whatsoever” Sherlock held his gaze and leaned in for a deep kiss

“After that…” John cleared his throat and parted from Sherlock’s lips

“After that I left Buenos Aires and went back to Miami, following Milton again…”

“I’m glad we’re here” John caressed Sherlock’s cheek and Sherlock leaned in to the touch, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch, rubbing his cheek against John’s palm

“I’m glad you’re here with me” Sherlock sighed

“Where to next?” John changed the subject when Bell came running to him and hugged his legs

“This afternoon the zoo and tomorrow morning the Japanese Garden, I was thinking we might go to the Borges Cultural Centre, and there is show I want to take you and Bell to Colón Theatre, there’s a child’s play that our little lady will love”

“I’m sure she will” John ruffled her curly hair “Thank you, love” John kissed Sherlock and helped him up “Shall we go back? It’s getting cold” Sherlock nodded and hugged John close, protecting him with his coat and holding little Bell in his arms and protecting her too. John chuckled and moved away “Allow me” He smiled up at Sherlock and kissed the tip of his freezing nose, he pulled Sherlock’s gloves out of his pocket and helped him put them on, before pulling his own. He reached for Sherlock´s hand, entwined their fingers and started walking back to their car while pushing Hamish’s buggy.

The next few days went fast, visiting the zoo and the Colón Theatre, the National Arts museum and other sights Sherlock wanted for John to visit, including La Plata and Mar del Plata, from there, they took the plane to their next stop, Santiago


	120. Chile, on the road to Neruda. June 19th to June 29th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “At my stag do, if Tessa hadn’t interrupted… you think we would have…?” John didn’t know how to phrase the question  
> “No” Sherlock answered honestly and saw John’s face fell

“Did you visit Santiago before going back to Miami? John was curious about the reason for this particular stop

“Not really, I left on the biplane at night and landed in Miami ten hours later” Sherlock shook his head and smiled down at John’s curious face

“Then… Why?”

“Just because” Sherlock reached for John’s hand and held his breath as the plane landed in Nuevo Pudahuel

“Good Lord” John gasped “This is…” His wide eyes said it all

“Wait to see it first thing in the morning” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and held his hand to help him down the plane. They went to a suite Sherlock had reserved for them. As always, he had called ahead and rented a master suite at one of the tallest buildings in Santiago. The Boulevard Suites had all they needed, including a perfect view of the Andes

“I’ve missed your cooking” John hugged Sherlock from the back and caressed his chest while Sherlock cooked “I’ve always loved this secret ability of yours to make things from scratch” He kissed his left shoulder blade and inhaled deeply, enjoying not only Sherlock’s own aroma, but the mixture of Sherlock’s cinnamon with the ginger he was using to cook

Sherlock mover around the kitchen with such finesse that John felt as if they were dancing, following him around, unable to stop touching, kissing and taking deep breaths. Once he was done, Sherlock patted John’s arm and handed him plates and cutlery to set the table; John smiled and did as silently “ordered”, he helped Bell to her chair and set the plate in front of her, watching her savour the Thai chicken her father had prepared for them

“What plans do we have for tomorrow” John asked around a mouthful

“Whatever you want to do, love” Sherlock replied

“You didn’t plan the trip?”

“I did” Sherlock shrugged “But I want to get lost in this city, just like we did in Havana” Sherlock pushed another bite of chicken in Bell’s mouth “I was thinking to get up early so you could see the view from here” He cleaned Bell’s mouth

“What time?”

“Five… So we can see the sunrise” Sherlock smiled at John, then cocked his head and winked an eye at him. John laughed heartily at his husband, Sherlock will always be Sherlock, but he was a good man now

In the morning, around four, Sherlock woke John and handed him a warm blanket, leading him to the terrace. They sat there, waiting, sharing a hot cup of proper British tea, sitting next to each other, much like they used to do in Baker Street, before everything… after everything… John remembered his stag night and the way Sherlock had acted towards him

“I have a question” John said, breaking the morning silence

“Ask away” Sherlock looked at him

“At my stag do, if Tessa hadn’t interrupted… you think we would have…?” John didn’t know how to phrase the question

“No” Sherlock answered honestly and saw John’s face fell, but kept talking before John could ask anything else “I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if something happened that night between us” Sherlock looked at John’s deep blue eyes and got lost in the deep ocean for a brief moment of silence, he saw John’s lips move and he put his finger on them “I always thought of our first kiss as something magical, just the way it was, and our first time making love as sweet and caring as it actually was” He leaned in and kissed John “We were drunk, and in the morning, either one of us would have pretended nothing happened, or probably would have panicked and that would have been the end of us…” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek softly “I would have never been able to forgive myself if something happened that night… I had already made you walk away once, I don’t think I could handle watching you walk away from my life twice, at least, not because of me” Sherlock kissed John softly on the lips and pulled him to his seat “Here” He pulled him to his lap and wrapped him with his arms and his blanket “Sunrise’s here” He rested his head on John’s shoulder and felt him relax against him

The sunrise was more beautiful than John had dared to imagine, he could see the sun drawing the mountains and slowly going up in the sky, while the mountains seemed to reach for it, trying to keep him still above them, while the sky was painted with soft yellows and strong pinks and purples, with the cold blue growing bolder and eating the fire with a gust of snowy wind

“Thank you” John breathed against Sherlock’s neck and snuggled closer, his eyes never leaving the blue sky and the rising sun “thank you for waiting for me” He whispered and turned to watch an even better blue sky in Sherlock’s eyes, the light was perfect, and Sherlock’s eyes matched the sky beautifully, that blue cold ice piercing him and melting his heart and soul

“I love you” Sherlock kissed the words over John’s lips and John responded in kind “I love you” Sherlock repeated “And I would have waited for you forever” He touched his forehead with John’s and looked him in the eyes “It was more than worth it waiting for you” He kissed him deeply again, sunrise forgotten and the majesty of the mountains left to others to admire

They enjoyed their stay at Santiago for the next couple of days, like any other tourists they went to the major sights, such as La Chascona, where Sherlock bought John a book of poems from Neruda, and the Gabriela Mistral Centre where Bell had so much fun she cried all the way out. They ended up and entire day at the science and Technology Museum and another day at National Zoo.

Sherlock planned a visit to Valparaiso and decided to drive; Rodrigo had helped him get a small place for them to enjoy a couple of days in Valparaiso, where they visited La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s home, and the Handicrafts Fair where they bought a set of dolls for Bell and little wooden cars for Hamish. They also visited the Cultural Park of Valparaiso and the Cultural Park. Bell was excited with the colourful murals at the Open Air Museum and the Lukas Museum; Sherlock tried to translate the jokes, but John had been practicing his Spanish and was now able to hold an entire conversation with a ten years old

Another friend of Rodrigo’s invited them to spend the day at El Quisco, to visit another of Neruda’s homes, Isla Negra, where John found the perfect book to gift his loving husband.

From El Quisco, Sherlock drove his family back to Santiago late that afternoon. John enjoyed the sights, becoming flabbergasted once more when they entered Santiago again and he could see the majestic Andes watch over the city.

That night, their last at Santiago, John recited his favourite Neruda’s poem to Sherlock’s ear while they made love “I like for you to be still: it is as though you were absent, distant and full of sorrow as though you had died. One word then, one smile, is enough. And I am happy, happy that it's not true*” It was an apparently sad poem, but it reflected Sherlock’s personality and John’s love for him to perfection.

Early morning they took the plane to Easter Island, Sherlock wanted to see the Moai. As previously planned their visit to Rapa Nui National Park was perfect, just as Sherlock wanted it to be. Bell ran and touched all she could and was able, while Hamish pointed excitedly at the big heads and his now bluish-greenish eyes looked excitedly at everything.

“What other plans do we have before going to the next place?” John asked

“We’ll finish Rapa Nui tomorrow, and then Australia is waiting for us” Sherlock was playing with Hamish’s little feet

“Then we make it the best day ever” John reached up and kissed his husband’s cheek. Just like they had done at Santiago, they watched the sunset from Rapa Nui, holding hands and their children, leaning into each other and wanting nothing more than to be together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Poem 15 Neruda  
> “Me gusta cuando callas porque está como ausente. Distante y dolorosa como si hubieras muerto. Una palabra entonces, una sonrisa bastan. Y estoy alegre, alegre de que no sea cierto”


	121. Brazil. June 30th to July 19th (Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Bahia)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you already know I rescued Mali from a brothel... And they immediately took her to jail... I had to call Mycroft and he agreed to help her. I went to look for her and I promised I’ll be back, she was so scared I had to try and make a joke and I winked at her and promised her to be back soon... From then on, whenever I winked she would giggle, and I would laugh... She stayed with me for a few days in Bosnia, and Mycroft found this place for her and her parents. I saw her again the day her parents arrived and she was boarding a plane to leave, she didn’t notice me, but I could see her, she winked at the camera and said “promise” and giggled… It’s sort of our… inner joke...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late updte, been at a seminar, conference, whatever... Busy as I love to be... I hope you enjoy it. Love you all my dear readers!

Sherlock hadn’t actually planned to visit the country but by the time the climbed up in the plane at Rapa Nui, Sherlock had already decided to visit Rio. They travelled the entire night, and by early morning they were in hot Rio.

“I hope twenty days are enough” Sherlock reached for John’s hand as they walked to their car

“Twenty… what?” John looked up. Cocking his head slightly to the side to better look at his husband

“John…” Sherlock looked down at him “You do know I hate to repeat myself” He mocked annoyance “But if I must…” He sniffled and before he could continue, John was kissing him

“And where are we staying?” John asked Sherlock’s lips

“At Marina All Suites at Leblon”

“Leblon?”

“Leblon and Ipanema, one of the best neighbourhoods in Rio” Sherlock pulled away and started walking to the car again “I think four days here are more than enough, I want to go to other places, such as Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Bahia”

“And almost all around tour?” John smirked, Sherlock smiled and nodded

“Which’s our first stop?” John reached for Bell and pulled her sweater off, while Sherlock undressed Hamish a bathed him in anti-mosquito cream.

“The hotel to change and make sure they gave us the rooms I wanted” Sherlock took out his jacket and put it on the side “It was supposed to be slightly cold, but I guess only nights are cool”

“I’m rather glad to be hot for once. We came from the northern winter to the southern winter and the only hot days we had were in Mexico” John smiled and sat back, enjoying the sun and the rising heat

They arrived to the hotel and Sherlock made his way to the suite. It was perfect, just what he asked; it had a view of the ocean and the Corcovado “Great” Sherlock smiled “Ready?” He looked at John “Our first stop is the Sugarloaf Mountain by cable-car, from there to Corcovado to Christ the Redeemer in the Corcovado train”

As a surprise to John, after the Corcovado Train, Sherlock had a helicopter waiting for them and for John to see the city from the air. Bell enjoyed the tour the most; she loved riding on a helicopter and trains and planes, she loved travelling and visiting new countries, although what she enjoyed the most was being able to see things from a distance and feel as if they were little toys.

“You always manage to do amazing things for me” John thanked Sherlock that night at their hotel room “Thank you, sweet, sweet man” He kissed along Sherlock’s back and made him shiver

In the early morning they left to Lage Park and in the afternoon they visited the Escadaria Selarón where Bell ran up and down the stairs and posed for Daddy John’s pictures. Their week in Rio was spent in Museums and Parks, Bell more interested in the beach than ever and Sherlock enjoying watching John play with their children.

Their last afternoon, before going to Brasilia, John was resting next to Sherlock watching the sunset “I had no idea this was so beautiful” John sighed and looked at Sherlock’s face

“You should be looking at the sunset, love” Sherlock couldn’t keep his eyes off John

“You should too” John bit his lower lip “Thank you… for last night…” John blushed and made Sherlock blush harder

“It had to be done” Sherlock smiled shyly “And I’ll keep on doing it until you understand that your life is to be celebrated in as many ways as possible” Sherlock whispered

“Thank you” John felt his heart flutter

Their exchange was cut short by little Bell demanding their attention; the little girl wanted to share a moment with her parents about her latest discovery, how the sand dried after a while and she had to put water on it to produce her “delicious” mud cakes, she had been “perimenting” the entire afternoon.

They parted the next day to Brasilia, where Sherlock had called ahead and found a nice quiet flat in the middle of the city to spend the next two days. His only reason to visit Brasilia was in order to check on Mali, the Thai girl he had helped long ago and her parents.

“Mali lives around the corner” Sherlock explained “I got her a residency here, so she could bring her parents and never have to return to Thailand, where jail waited for her and her parents” Sherlock kept driving “You don’t mind that I check up on her?”

“Mind” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “I’ve actually been waiting to meet her” John smiled “You’ve mentioned her twice and it was intriguing” He chuckled “You never mention anyone twice”

They arrived to Mali’s home and an apparently typical Brazilian girl received them, she was beautiful and the moment she saw Sherlock she jumped to his arms and hugged him fiercely “You’re finally here, Angel” She greeted

“I’ve finally made it” Sherlock smiled and hugged her back “I’m so glad you’re looking much better” He looked at her face and hands

“Me too” Mali smiled at him and caressed his cheek “Come, bring your John in” She nodded at John and smirked at the surprised face Sherlock made

“Lara…” Sherlock muttered and Mali smiled

They shared a nice dinner; Bell was absolutely enthralled by Mali as she showed her a few things from her country, from beads to feathers, which made Bell giggle and run excitedly to her fathers. Sherlock talked to Mali about his return, their wedding, having Bell and Hamish, Mary, and their trip around the world

“Have you been at the park already?” She asked

“Yes, this morning, as soon we arrived, we took the children to the City Park” John answered

“And how long are you staying?”

“Just tonight, tomorrow we head to Sao Paulo and from there to Bahia” Sherlock gave her the itinerary

“I wish you could stay longer” She sighed

“I promise we’ll come back next year, or maybe you can visit” John suggested

“I can’t” Mali shook her head “At least not for the next couple of years” she smiled sadly “But I already have a job… and a boyfriend” Her eyes twinkled “I wanted you to meet him” She sighed again “But he’s in Rio now”

“Next time” Sherlock smiled at her “Promise” He winked at her and they both giggled

They left Mali and went back to their flat. John wanted to know more, but he knew Sherlock needed time, he couldn’t be more wrong… As soon as they arrived, Sherlock put Bell to bed and took John to their room and divested him slowly

“I’m not going to do anything; I just want to hold you for a moment, before…” Sherlock whispered against John’s ear, John nodded and let Sherlock do as he needed, getting next to him in bed and having Sherlock hold him “As you already know I rescued Mali from a brothel” Sherlock was talking to John’s hair “And they immediately took her to jail” Sherlock caressed John’s back slowly “I had to call Mycroft and he agreed to help her. I went to look for her and I promised I’ll be back, she was so scared I had to try and make a joke and I winked at her and promised her to be back soon” he nuzzled John’s head “From then on, whenever I winked she would giggle, and I would laugh” Sherlock chuckled “She stayed with me for a few days in Bosnia, and Mycroft found this place for her and her parents. I saw her again the day her parents arrived and she was boarding a plane to leave, she didn’t notice me, but I could see her, she winked at the camera and said “promise” and giggled… It’s sort of our… inner joke” Sherlock finished his story and could feel John relax

“You treated her like your little sister” John sighed contently

“I did” Sherlock nodded “Tomorrow night we’ll be in Sao Paulo, my love” Sherlock kissed John’s ear “We should rest… It’s been a long day” Sherlock moved down the bed, holding John and dragging him down “I love you” Sherlock whispered and soon was snoring lightly, his arms tightly wrapped around John. John knew that wasn’t the whole story, but as Mycroft had said, Sherlock deserved to have his secrets

Sao Paulo was as exciting as Sherlock had described it. John had seen a few pictures and movies about the city and wanted to go to a few places he had seen in a documentary. They arrived to their hotel, the Unique, their suite just as beautiful as the others had been.

Their first stop was the Pinacoteca, followed by the Art Museum. The next day, Sherlock took the children to the Botanical Garden and was excited to see that Hamish was trying to walk, flexing his legs and excitedly trying to stand. Sherlock helped him every single time, and he couldn’t wait any longer to tell John, who was at the Butantan Institute with a friend he had met the night before at the restaurant Sherlock had taken him

As soon as John entered the room Sherlock received him excitedly “Mish is trying to walk” he almost stumbled down because he tried to jump the coffee table to greet John at the table

“What?” John smiled widely and helped his husband before he fell

“Mish, is trying to walk” Sherlock repeated more excited than before “How was your day?” Sherlock asked

“It was great” John answered and picked Hamish up “Jackson showed me his lasts work, you’ll be interested” John looked at him “They’re researching about venoms” He said “It made me think about you the entire time and I made an appointment for us to go together tomorrow” He kissed Sherlock and handed him Hamish “And I’ve been invited to a two day seminar and I was thinking it could be a good idea, for my license and all” John was walking away, he knew they hadn’t discussed his job and he needed to keep his license

“I think it’s a fantastic idea!” Sherlock left Hamish in his buggy and reached for him and held him close “I can go and do some research while you go to the seminar and Bell can go with my mum and dad to the zoo” Sherlock said as he had said nothing

“What?” John tried to turn in Sherlock’s arms but Sherlock held him tight

“My parents are coming…” Sherlock let out a long breath “Mum has a seminar too and she wanted to see the children… I wanted to tell you but…” And he let go of John

“Are they staying here?” John asked

“Nope, they have their own room, already booked at another hotel by seminar people. I had no idea they were coming and they had no idea we were here” Sherlock said, worrying his lower lip “I just found out this morning” He looked down

“The timing is perfect” John kissed him “I just hope Hamish won’t start walking without us there” He smiled and looked at the little baby, giggling and trying to escape the buggy

“I hope so too” Sherlock leaned into John’s forehead and kissed him softly

John went to his seminar and Sherlock stayed for two days at the lab facility experimenting all he wanted. They had every meal together and made time to bathe Bell and Hamish every night, being apart gave them time to think, to process and most of all, it gave them time to realise they could live without one another but that they preferred to be together all the time.

As soon as the event finished, after the closing ceremony, Sherlock took John to a walk around the city to share their experiences “Mali was in jail the entire time while I was in Bosnia. I had to pretend to be a lawyer and helped her out of jail without anyone noticing. I committed yet another felony…” Sherlock looked down and away from John “that’s why she’s here, in Brazil; it’s my fault she can’t return to her country…”

“It’s okay, love, in the end you rescued her” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “In the end You saved her from even a worst faith than being in jail” He pulled Sherlock close and kissed him “I love you” John kissed him again “Come” He pulled Sherlock’s hand and walked with him to Municipal Theatre where they had planned to spend the evening

In the afternoon of the next day, after saying goodbye to a teary eyed Violet and a sad looking Siger, the family left to Bahia to spend their last four days in Brazil. Once in Bahia, they spent their days at the beach, where Hamish took his first few steps; they decided to visit just a few sites the House of Jorge Amado, the Archaeology Museum and Modern Art Museum.

“Our final night in Brazil” John sighed before sipping his wine “I’ll never forget our days here” He reached for Sherlock’s hand

“Neither would I” Sherlock smiled

“Specially my birthday” He bit his lower lip and blushed

“That was an epical event” Sherlock smirked

“It sure was” John nodded and remembered that night


	122. How to celebrate a birthday in Brazil. July 6th and 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the stroke of midnight, Sherlock signalled to one of the dancers and they began a special show just for John and his birthday. They danced for over two hours, singing every birthday song available, making John dance, laugh, drink and kiss Sherlock every minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll wait for the comments, kill me with them!

John had forgotten his birthday, again. He was to lost in the city to remember the day it was, which is why he was surprised when Sherlock proposed to go to a samba school that night, leaving the children with Amanda and going to celebrate

“Celebrate?” John asked “Celebrate what?”

Sherlock rolled his eyes and pulled him in for a deep kiss

As planned, Sherlock took John to a Samba School and John was delighted by the music, the dance, the people, and the ability Sherlock had to mingle, and to finally let lose. He was dancing with one of the girls, trying to follow her when he reached for John’s hand and pulled him in a long and sensuous embrace as they tried to dance and follow the samba

At the stroke of midnight, Sherlock signalled to one of the dancers and they began a special show just for John and his birthday. They danced for over two hours, singing every birthday song available, making John dance, laugh, drink and kiss Sherlock every minute.

The Samba school left the Sambodromo and danced their way down to a pub; many people joined them and started a street party with music, drinks, food, more dancers, drums, feathers, fire and light. Sherlock was leading the party, holding John’s hand all the way to their destination. He was other person, not that posh, and let’s face it, unbearable… arse that John had grown to love so long ago

By two in the morning, half drunk and with nothing to do but grope his husband amongst the dancers and drummers, John kissed and grabbed Sherlock in every way possible, by the end of the street, in between a bunch of people, he practically groped Sherlock and pushed him against a wall, finding a dark alley where he simply ripped Sherlock’s shirts and pants out of the way and pushed inside him with all the need he had built up since they first arrived to the Sambodromo

It was quick, fulfilling, exciting, just the way John liked it; he pounded into Sherlock and enjoyed the way Sherlock moved against him chasing his own orgasm, he tried to stifle the sounds but it was to exciting, moving with the drums, screaming Sherlock’s name along with the music, feeling the way his entire body became alive the moment he came, and knowing that at any minute they could get caught, not by one person, but by at least a thousand.

After he came down from his post orgasmic high, he helped Sherlock dress and straighten up; he did his best to clean himself and Sherlock up. He took a deep breath, took Sherlock’s hand in his and pulled him out the alley and back with the dancers and drummers. Some of them did eyed them suspiciously, and John blushed but shrugged it off; he knew that they had done it in public a couple times, but never with such… raw… hunger  

Sherlock was smiling, and to be honest, walking a little funny, he tried to act as nonchalant as always and keep on dancing, but John had awakened a beast Sherlock recognised as desire, need... a hunger that he had only felt with John and for John… Sherlock searched for another dark place, he was… in need… He pulled John to the next dark place he found and started kissing him fiercely; John let go and allowed Sherlock to do as he pleased; John found himself against the wall, trying to find something to grab and hold in order to… endure… Sherlock’s thrusts

It was quick, once again. It was frantic, raw, hungry, lustful, exciting… It was exactly what they wanted and needed, a quick shag to quench, to try to placate the hunger that was consuming them, at least for the time being…

They walked out of the alley, even more dishevelled than before, looking like walking sex. This time, more people noticed what they’d been doing, Sherlock tried to fix John’s shirt while John pulled up Sherlock’s short’s zipper up. Marcelo and Roberto noticed and simply laughed, Sherlock blushed and John covered his face with his hands, trying to hide away from the knowing looks.

They mingled with the dancers and drummers, though Sherlock’s curls were quite noticeable, John mingled better, but his dishevelled look gave him away, though maybe it was the kissing what gave them away. They danced until the early morning, trying not to touch… much… staying away from dark alleys, and poorly lit streets, trying their best not to eat each other as much as they desired

The ride back to the hotel could have ended poorly if it weren’t for one of their many security details. The man had been clever enough to find a car with tinted windows and a division. Sherlock allowed John to have, hold, grab, grope, kiss, suck, bite, lick and taste whatever he wanted; John needed to possess, it was fiery, hot, exciting… He had to have; he had to please, to thank, to enjoy, to… feel…

Sherlock felt the need too; every single touch was electricity, fire, hunger, pure and raw need. Every kiss was exactly what they wanted, mind numbing, knee faltering, breath-taking; it was as if they were together for the first time after long years of denying themselves the pleasure of kissing, touching, having, holding. Sherlock had to stop, take a deep breath, or for the first time since they started dating, he’ll be firing his guns much earlier than planned. John felt the urgency to come too; he had to step away from Sherlock, before the urge became a need

They stopped, looked at each other and with one look, they both knew it was better to wait, to take a bath, to explore each other, to enjoy. It was hard, both literally and figuratively, but they managed until they entered their hotel room. Sherlock moved slowly, taking his clothes off with measured movements, thus increasing John’s need to touch.

John followed the game; he removed his own clothes slowly, teasingly, his eyes never leaving Sherlock’s. He licked his lips and Sherlock bit his own, they kept their hands for themselves until the warm water touched their bodies and not even an army would have been able to separate them. Their mouths had a mind of their own. Sherlock’s latched itself to John’s pulse point, while John tried to breathe while sucking teasingly at Sherlock’s shoulder, tasting the sweat, the warm water and Sherlock

“Bed” John growled and before he could think he was being dragged out of the shower to the bed, and Sherlock was hovering above him

“Slow” Sherlock leaned in a kissed him before lying on his back next to John and handing him their tiny bottle

“Tease” John kissed him deeply before grabbing the bottle and pouring several droplets over his fingers “Breathe” He asked softly as he went down on his husband, teasing him open excruciatingly slowly

“John…” Sherlock let out as a low whispered sigh and John pushed in, as slowly as he was able. He stayed still for what seemed like an eternity; Sherlock’s eyes remained open and were looking at him, pupils dilated, the ocean lost behind the darkness, a smile spread over the bow of his lips, his breathing ragged and lustful, his body shivering at the feeling. To John, he had never looked as beautiful as he did at that moment, never so fragile, so open, so wonderfully full of him

“I love you” John thrusted once and felt Sherlock tremble in his arms. Sherlock looked up and John was lost in those eyes, so trustful, so loving. Sherlock looked at John and he had never seen him so young, so beautiful, so open and trusting, and he gave himself fully, even more so than he did the first time, his mind stopped, nothing outside them, their bodies and this moment, was important

John felt it too, and he gave himself fully to the task of making love to this wonderful man that was currently opening, body and soul, to him, and John let go, he gave himself more than he had ever done, nothing was as important as this moment. He slowed down, kissed Sherlock deeply, roamed Sherlock’s body reconnecting and finding new places, new spaces, a new rhythm.

Sherlock moved with John, his body going to wherever John was leading, his mind silent, concentrated on the absolute pleasure he was feeling. Soon enough they were both peaking, together, breathing for each other. The need, that absurd, raw, mind numbing hunger for each other, stopped, satisfied, for the time being, at least for a few hours

“Happy birthday, my love” Sherlock whispered against John’s chest, peppering it with soft kisses

“Thank you, my love” John carded his fingers on Sherlock’s hair and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment for as long as their brains were disconnected from their bodies and nothing else mattered in the world, but the two of them and this moment.      


	123. Ecuador, just for the laughs. July 20th to August 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John still couldn’t believe he had visited half a country in less than a week, he knew there was more to visit still, but time was short, and Sherlock promised to take him to the Galapagos Islands before heading to Australia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve finally reached my beautiful country. I wasn’t going to write about it, but… To hell! Since I’m here and able to share the beauty I’m going to do so… Sorry for the inconvenience and I sure hope one day you can visit my beautiful country

“Where are we?” John opened his eyes as soon as the plane landed; he had slept the entire time they were on the plane

“Quito” Sherlock answered nonchalantly, as if John had to know where they were the entire time

“Where?” John asked again

“Quito” Sherlock repeated and sighed “We’re in Quito, Ecuador” he showed John outside the window and John looked at his husband as if he were utterly crazy

“I thought we were supposed to travel to Australia”

“We are, but we have to stop somewhere” Sherlock shrugged “We’ve been flying for over ten hours, you’re tired, Bell is moody, and Hamish… Well…” Sherlock rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked tired, ready to give up and simply fall asleep on the spot

“It’s a twenty four hours trip” John sighed and grabbed his head, messing up his hair and trying to figure out how they would manage in the end “I’m sorry, love. I know how difficult it is for you too to stay still for long hours” He reached for Sherlock’s hand and Sherlock grabbed it, squeezing it softly “So, Ecuador, uh?” John smiled and Sherlock nodded “Should we get tired first and head for the hotel by the end of the day, or…?” John pulled Sherlock close and hugged him

“We should go to the hotel first, take a bath and then see how tired we are before we go out” Sherlock answered to John’s shoulder

They arrived to their hotel and John was pleased to find the city not as warm as expected, even though the forecast said they should expect at least eighty degrees, in the morning, and some rain in the afternoon. The hotel manager received them with some coca infusion, as previously requested by Sherlock, and with valuable information about the city and the country

The infusion revived them and they were ready to explore the city. Their first stop, following the hotel manager recommendation was down town. It reminded them of Lima and old European cities. Although it was a bit… chaotic… Sherlock was ready to walk around old town and get to visit it. They went to the most important museums and churches, from Saint Francis to the Cathedral, the Wax Museum and the Government Palace, exhausting themselves and knowing that there was more of Quito than what met the eye. With the last of their energy, they sent the babies back to the hotel with Amanda and visited La Ronda, sharing mulled wine and some “Canelazo” a drink made with hard sugarcane liqueur, a cinnamon infusion and “naranjilla”, a local fruit

“I like this” John licked his lips and asked for another glass of “canelazo”

“Me too” Sherlock downed another glass. Before they knew it, they were being helped down the street to find a cab, one too many canelazos, and not enough “empanadas de viento”, a local desert, in their bellies   

The next day, a car drove them to Otavalo where John bought a couple of little [dresses](http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-615795202-oferta-ropa-de-bebe-vestidos-otavalenos-9-m-_JM) for his baby girl, to him; the craftsmanship was beautiful; the little flowers enhanced the already beautiful fabric. Sherlock bought a [shirt](http://kayrirunapar.blogspot.com/2013/04/18.html), and even though John eyed him suspiciously, he had to agree that the shirt suited him, much like the ones he had used in Cuba and Brazil

Following a whim, their driver took them to Manabi, they arrived to the beach before sunset and where able to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets they had witnessed on this side of the Pacific. The beach was almost perfect, not to hot, not to windy, just the right temperature for them.

“It sure is a little country” John leaned into Sherlock and brushed a stray curl away from Sherlock’s eyes

“Yes” Sherlock nodded; lost in the sight of John’s eyes and the sunset “Much like Chile, but the beach is warmer” Sherlock closed his eyes and breathed the warm and salty air

“Are we staying here for a couple of days?”

“We could” Sherlock sighed and enjoyed the last of the sun over his skin

In the early morning, they left to the beach and had a swim, Sherlock was a bit bored, but at the same time, he was interested in the people and the way they did things. He followed a few fishermen and watched as they collected the fish, he then followed an artisan and watched him create one of the most beautiful hats he had ever seen. In the end, he bought a [hat](http://montecristi.evisos.ec/sombreros-finos-de-paja-toquilla-id-261094) for him and a hat for John

“I thought these hats were from Panama” John put the hat on and watched himself in the mirror

“The man told me the story” Sherlock put his on and admired the craftsmanship “Apparently some important man used to sell them to the canal workers in Panama. When the investors came to visit the Canal, they liked the hats and that’s how they became the Panama hats, but they’re Ecuadorian”

That afternoon their driver took them to a few places, to Sherlock’s enjoyment, archaeological sites. They went to Salango and Agua Blanca. Sure, the archaeological sites weren’t as “magnificent” as the Peruvian or Bolivian ones, but they made a beautiful sight. Their driver drove them further into the country and they found themselves at another beach before the day was over. Santa Elena was slightly colder, and they had to wait to morning for the museum to open, but John was marvelled that they had travelled half the country in less than five days

They watched the sunrise before leaving for their next stop. Less than five hours later they were in Cuenca, and their driver took them to the old town. The experience there was different from Quito, the city is divided by a river, one side leads to the new town, the modern part of the city, and the other side holds the old town, a living, bustling old town, with streets made of stone, old houses still lived in, and a beautiful hotel that had them looking everywhere

That afternoon in Cuenca they visited the Cathedral and the City Museum, they walked down the “Escalinata” a long set of stairs that lead form the old town to the new town and found themselves near an archaeological site. John promised Sherlock to take him the next day, and he did, they visited Pumapungo and before they knew it, less than two hours later they were in Ingapirca, Sherlock walking around the archaeological site, not in Cuenca, but in another province. 

In order to have them back in Quito as soon as possible, their driver offered them one last tour. They parted from Ingapirca after lunch and in less than five hours they were standing before a colossus, the Chimborazo. The sun was barely dying and they had the chance to even smell the volcano. John took a few pictures of the biggest active volcano on the world before climbing back on the car. Less than two hours later they were standing on the skirts of another volcano, the Cotopaxi. John was mesmerised by the sight; he couldn’t believe he had seen the same volcanos from his window room in Quito, and that he had been able to see the Chimborazo from the beach in Manabi

Instead of leaving the next day, as they had planned, Sherlock decided to visit the Yasuní Park, a bit of “jungle” for their enjoyment. They travelled by plane to a meeting point, and from there by river to the hotel in the middle of the Amazon forest. They went bird watching, and were lead to a butterfly nursery; after a long walk they found a few other animals, a huge boa constrictor, all kinds of monkeys and lizards, spiders and even a panther.

They left after a day of “amazonic” leisure, their driver was waiting for them at the meeting point, ready to drive them back to Quito and show them a few more things. He took them to the thermal water of Papallacta where they spent a couple of hours and Bell and Hamish had the most fun. Tired and actually excited to have had the time to almost visit an entire country they asked José to drive them back to Quito   

They arrived to the city just in time for Bell’s bath, right after dinner. John still couldn’t believe he had visited half a country in less than a week, he knew there was more to visit still, but time was short, and Sherlock promised to take him to the Galapagos Islands before heading to Australia.        

After a two hours flight they hit land at a little island, San Cristobal. To John’s surprise, their yacht was already waiting for them at port and the captain was excited to have them on board once again. The maids at the ship were more than happy to help with little Bell and little Hamish, to tell the truth, they loved the little children, and all they wanted was to be helpful to the love struck couple.

Their time in the islands was short, they had a day to visit each of them, and Sherlock had planned the days to the second; John knew perfectly well that he would follow wherever Sherlock lead. They visited an island every day; their first stop was the Charles Darwin Research Station and later on the Research Institute

From Genovesa they went to Santa Fé, from Puerto Egas to Punta Espinoza, the Wolf Volcano and The Twins. They went to every place they could go, and enjoyed the sights as much as they could. Bell watched the sea lions swimming, and found a few dolphins along the way. She was excited to see the animals and wanted to swim in the clear blue ocean.

She had her chance at Tortuga Bay, her parents held her close and she was able to swim as much as she wanted, holding tight to Sherlock’s arms and John’s hands and eventually letting go and swimming on her own under her parents watchful eyes. The only downside of their trip was that for the first couple of days Bell was seasick, John had food poisoning and Sherlock ran a fever related to a jellyfish sting… An they were there for each other, like always

Their last night at the islands Sherlock sat with John at the sun deck and they looked at each other. One of the maids, Gabrielle was looking intently at them and she noticed the moment everything changed for ever that night, right before John led Sherlock back to their suite  


	124. A brief interlude. August 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Gabrielle knew was that something had changed maybe along the way since she last saw them in Colombia; or maybe just that second, when John looked at Sherlock and smiled softly, and Sherlock smiled at John, eyes bright. John looked relaxed, at ease with his surroundings; less panic in his eyes whenever Sherlock left the room, as for Sherlock, he looked peaceful, at rest, instead of distraught, tired, he slept all night next to John instead of walking up and down the yacht like a lost soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a slightly different chapter from the other ones. I need it to continue the story, thus the fact I call it “A brief interlude”, it will be from their POV instead of a third person POV. It’ll help me transition to the last leg of the trip and the time-space madness I’ve created. Only the first part of this chapter will be from Third Person Point Of View (TPPOV) and from then it will be Sherlock’s and John’s

**TPPOV**

Gabrielle had never seen them like that; sure, she met them when they were in the first months of their marriage and was there when Sherlock presented John with the boat, and was there when John “thanked” Sherlock thoroughly, they looked love struck, intensely in love, absolutely mad about each other, but something changed in just a few seconds. They already had little Isabelle so she knew them around the little girl, and she had first-hand information about how they were while alone when Sherlock prepared John’s birthday, over a year ago, but she knew something had changed, it took seconds, but something changed 

It wasn’t Hamish’s first time on board either, she already adored both children, but she could see a shift of some sort in their behaviour and their relationship when the little boy made his appearance. After Hamish, they, somehow, seemed ever more glued together than before, one look and John knew Sherlock needed a breather from everything, one look and Sherlock knew John needed room to be, one look, and they both would knew they needed to be away, together, no words needed, just a simple understanding, no hand holding, or kissing, or any reassurance of physical presence. Sherlock would knew John was near because, according to him, the air shifted, and John would knew Sherlock was near because he could feel it in his skin, something about his skin bristling…

What Gabrielle knew was that something had changed maybe along the way since she last saw them in Colombia; or maybe just that second, when John looked at Sherlock and smiled softly, and Sherlock smiled at John, eyes bright. John looked relaxed, at ease with his surroundings; less panic in his eyes whenever Sherlock left the room, as for Sherlock, he looked peaceful, at rest, instead of distraught, tired, he slept all night next to John instead of walking up and down the yacht like a lost soul.

Gabrielle was there and saw a change, a slight change in their behaviour, they were sitting together at the sun deck, their last night in the yacht before leaving in the morning for their next destination. They weren’t touching but their skin was bristled, John smiled and Sherlock smiled back, without even looking at each other, John held his hand out, Sherlock took it and that was all they needed, no words, no desperation, no kisses, nothing, they simply walked side by side to their room

**Sherlock**

I feel different, not a bad different, but a good different.  I look at John and my brain just stops. I never felt this way before, I never felt this safe… this… home… before. Something has changed, for the good, absolutely for the good. But in the last few weeks, since our little experiment in Brazil, staying away from each other, things have changed. I never seemed to have enough of John, I needed him like air, I needed to feel him, to touch him, all the time, but now, now I feel him with my soul

He’s sleeping right now, cuddled on my right side, his legs tangled with mine, his left arm resting on my chest, loose, his right hand carded in my hair. I’m trying to take a deep breath but a sigh escapes my lips, a contented sigh. I love it when he’s so possessive in his sleep, at first he would clutch to my shirt and would practically sleep on top of me, now he just holds me close and rests his head on my chest or my shoulder and loosely wraps around me, he even sleeps in the nude now

We just made love, I still feel him inside of me, but it was different this time, it’s been different since his birthday. Somehow he’s been more… open… He’s always been giving, always worried about me, my wishes, my desires, my needs… I really feel him with my soul now. I know when he’s near, when he’s deeply asleep, or when he’s about to wake up, I even feel him when he’s in distress, in pain, sleepless, worried, even when he’s hungry… I don’t know why I have this new feeling, all I know is that no matter how I analyse it, it ends up being the same miracle every single day. I never believed in miracles, but John Watson is my own particular miracle and now I have him under my skin

I still feel like the first time, but something has changed, yes, I still blush whenever I remember the way he touches me while we… frolic… I can’t even think the word without blushing… I’ve become a blushing love sick puppy, I can hardly hold a groan… but yet again, it escapes as a sigh… I’m so in love with him… My mind wanders to that first kiss and it was perfect, to that first time… and it was perfect, but since then, our first times, every night is a first time… are more than perfect, and lately are not just giving, it is as if we share a mind, a body, a soul, a sigh…

His skin is warm, and I feel so at home whenever I touch him… and the most wonderful thing now is that I don’t need to touch him now to know that I’m home. John Hamish Watson is my soul and is in my soul. I never believed in such thing as soul mates, sure I used to know when he was thinking and used to know what he was thinking just by looking at him, but now, now I know exactly what he’s thinking, when and why… We don’t need to look at each other, or even talk to each other, much less touch each other, to communicate… Our souls found one another, finally! Now I know he’s waking up, and his mind is complaining that I’m thinking to loudly…

He just moved, he’s stirring awake, and I know the first thing he’ll do is look at me, kiss the tip of my nose, smile down and I’ll be lost, as I’ll always be, and he’ll move on top of me, I’ll try to squirm my way out but he’ll kiss me, and that will be it, I’ll give myself entirely, body, mind and soul. I’ve been giving myself more entirely since his birthday. Something happened, something changed, I’m still figuring out what, but I’m glad that nothing, absolutely nothing comes between us, not my restless mind, not my scarred transport, not even my wandering soul, I’m all John’s…

He just opened his eyes, I just have a few more seconds before my brain turns off and my body turns on, before I give myself to him, before I let myself be exactly what I want to be, John’s

**John**

I hear him thinking loudly. I know what he means now whenever he says I’m thinking too loudly. It’s not as annoying as he pretends it to be, but now I understand perfectly what he means when he says I’m thinking too loudly. It’s a bit… unnerving… but now I can tell whether he’s thinking about me or about the world solely based on the way he breaths, and right now he’s thinking of me. I feel his body slightly warm up and I know he’s thinking about or previous activities, I can still feel him around me, his legs around my waist, his arms around my neck, his voice… God! His voice could kill me, deep, luxurious, like velvet, or chocolate, deep, throaty… I love it when it’s throaty and he sighs my name in the throes of passion

I can’t believe how trusting he is now. At the beginning he was so cautious, and I was afraid he’ll get tired of me, that one day I’ll wake up and find him gone, no matter how long we’ve been together, I couldn’t help but think that I was making love to him for the last time.

Something changed; something in me, in him, in the both of us changed. After my birthday something changed. Maybe the fact that we were able to be away for a couple of days, wanting to see each other but at the same time enjoying the time away; maybe the way he celebrated my birthday, or maybe what happened after… I still can’t believe I get to see him in such a vulnerable position, so trusting, so giving, so not the cold and distant Sherlock Holmes I portray for the rest of the world

That night… wonderful night… he gave himself fully to me, I could feel it in my skin, something changed, his soul was there, in his eyes, for me to see, his body was so responsive, so open, his eyes so trusting, his mind was off, focused on me and nowhere else, and I felt my mind snap, the dam broke and everything poured out. I could see him, for the first time as he was; his bare soul right in front of me to have, hold, keep, love…

I gave my soul to him, and since then, I can feel him in my skin… I know when he’s near, when he’s far, when he’s distant… I even feel when he needs me in more than one way. I feel him… I don’t know how, or why, I don’t want to know how or why, I’m just happy to feel him the way I do, so deep in my mind, my body, my soul, so deep in me…

I also feel him, when he’s angry, worried, when he’s sick, when he’s tired… I just… feel him, and I’m so happy I can finally feel him!!! I swear I even know what he’s thinking … I know he knows I’m awake now… I know he knows he´s waiting for me to look at him, kiss the tip of his nose, smile down at him, look at him again, and I know I’ll be lost, and I’ll be his… I’m his, and all I have to do now is open my eyes and be lost in him, and be what I’m meant to be, Sherlock’s…


	125. Australia. August 2nd to August 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was smiling, but he knew what was coming; they had silently agreed not to talk about what had happened in Australia while in the plane, but the time was coming. At this point, John already knew what might have happened; Sherlock was following someone, maybe a drug lord or a man involved in human trafficking. He also knew that Sherlock might have been tortured, followed, his life threatened… Before Sherlock could start speaking John held his hand and took a deep breath

After the most amazing night of their lives, when everything came together, mind, body and soul, the family got in a plane and after twenty hours, they arrived to Australia. Sherlock could feel John’s distress under his skin. He tried everything he could to distract his husband form the fact that Hamish cried his lungs out for half the trip, and Bell was acting like the proper, stubborn Holmes she was for the other half. Sherlock tried everything, even pretending he wasn’t distressed himself

Unfortunately for Sherlock, John could feel him too, and the more Sherlock tried, the angrier and distressed John became, until things snapped and John grabbed Hamish and walked him until the baby fell asleep, and the proceeded to chastise Bell for her behaviour, feeling how Sherlock relaxed and he relaxed even more.

“My love” John whispered and Sherlock turned his head to look at him. They shared a silent conversation, apologising, understanding each other, almost the same way Mycroft and Sherlock used to fight, silently, either starting or finishing an argument with one look.

“I love you” Sherlock let out in a long breath with a smile that said it all and that made John close his eyes and smile.

As soon as they arrived, the black car was there for them, Mycroft at the ready. The hotel room was ready too, a suite for them and the children. The Penthouse at the Establishment hotel had everything they needed, including the always needed bathtub to bathe the children.

Luckily for them, they arrived in the early hours of the morning, and Sherlock had planned the day, as usual, to fit the children’s needs and John’s aching body. He decided to take the car everywhere, and rest whenever he felt John’s pain in his own body. They went to the Chinese Garden of Friendship and ended their first day at the Sydney Observatory. In the afternoon, exhausted, they returned to their hotel and Sherlock prepared a special bath for them

The next day Sherlock took them to the Sea Life Aquarium and walked hand in hand with John, sharing the silence while Bell admired each animal. In the afternoon, and at the Botanical Garden, Sherlock found a bench and sat there, watching as Bell played and as Hamish tried to walk away from his parents for the first time. The baby had taken his first steps as a birthday gift for John, just a few, but right at the same time as his father, meaning Sherlock, did.

John was smiling, but he knew what was coming; they had silently agreed not to talk about what had happened in Australia while in the plane, but the time was coming. At this point, John already knew what might have happened; Sherlock was following someone, maybe a drug lord or a man involved in human trafficking. He also knew that Sherlock might have been tortured, followed, his life threatened… Before Sherlock could start speaking John held his hand and took a deep breath

“All I want to know is if you had help here” John said, squeezing Sherlock’s hand

“Gustav, Jacques and Paul helped me here” Sherlock smiled reassuringly at John

“That’s all I wanted to know” John breathed and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder

“Are you sure” Sherlock moved slightly and wrapping his arm around John

“You were tortured?” John asked in a whisper, Sherlock nodded “The scars on your upper arms?” Sherlock nodded again “They found you”

“Yes” Sherlock answered in a low voice “I was living as a homeless at Wentworth Park, and managed to create a homeless network during my first week here” Sherlock continued his story but stopped as soon as he felt John’s discomfort

“You live rough for how long?” John swallowed hard and tried to see it as a simple story

“For about two weeks,” Sherlock swallowed hard too, trying to control his emotions to not disturb John even more “The first three days I spent identifying the dealers, not following them, Paul and Jacques did the leg work, I had to find the exchange spots” Sherlock breathed deep, experiencing first-hand the way John was feeling “They found me after a week and a half at the Park and took me to a hiding place at Wollemi National Park and interrogated me for about three days until I gathered all the information I needed”

“Three days?” John was shivering and Sherlock held him close, staying silent for a while until John calmed down, the nausea Sherlock was feeling was probably coming from John “And who found you?” His voice was trembling

“Gustav” Sherlock answered softly “He was killed all the men that were torturing me” This time the nausea was his and he knew John was feeling it too

“How many?” John’s voice cracked, he moved closer to Sherlock and hid his face in his neck

“Seven” Sherlock inhaled deeply, relaxing with John’s scent

“You came here after Japan, right?” Sherlock nodded “And you were following someone?” Sherlock shook his head “Then?”

“I had to follow a lead” Sherlock squeezed John and John relaxed slightly in his arms “The Australians were helping the Chinese and the Japanese smuggling antiquities, one of the many stops before the goods entered the country” Sherlock explained “One of the many smuggling rings had his centre of operations right here in Sydney, they would take the good through the artists at the Sydney Opera House, amongst props and other stuff”

“Quite clever” John snorted

“Not as much as you might think” Sherlock shook his head “Some of the antiquities were severely damaged during the trip and they had to change strategies” Sherlock started to explain “As you know Van Coon and Lukis were “on foot” soldiers, taking one item, maybe two at the time, but with the performers it was easier to enter several antiquities at the time, mostly from Japan”

“And how they managed to smuggle the objects without breaking them?” John was breathing evenly, finally

“By using other propos to protect the goods, by the time the performers reached customs, the antiquities will be passed as props and they would use the broken items to charge the freight company for damages done to theatre good”

“So a very round business, smuggling, embezzlement and fraud”

“Exactly” Sherlock nodded “A few of the performers knew about the ruse and were arrested, but the truly guilty parties were the grips and the stage crew” Sherlock moved John’s hand to his lips and kissed it “One of the crew members, I think it was one of the electricians, he was the one that tortured me” John tensed in Sherlock’s arms and Sherlock remained silent until John took a deep breath as of asking him to continue “Fortunately, Gustav was there before they could do much damage, from Sydney I had to go to New York… It was long, tiresome…” Sherlock let out a long breath

“I love you” John kissed Sherlock deeply and smiled, sending all his love through this new found… bond… and Sherlock felt it in his every bone and returned the kiss, conveying all he was feeling in that pass of lips over lips

“I love you” He sighed against John’s lips and held him close. Bell was there next to them, and little Hamish, whose escaping trick turned out to be an utter failure, was crawling back to them, holding to Daaa’s, meaning Sherlock’s, leg and demanding their full attention.

John chuckled and picked up his little girl as Sherlock picked up the little boy, he stood and helped John up and walked hand in hand out of the Garden

“To where are we going tomorrow” John asked as he settled between Sherlock’s legs in the bathtub

“I was thinking we could go to the beach” Sherlock wrapped his arms and legs around John’s body and kissed his neck

“I like the idea” John hummed and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder; enjoying the attention his husband was currently giving his ear shell

“I was thinking Bondi Beach, but Mycroft suggested taking a boat to Store Beach. It might take us a couple of hours to go and come back to Sydney, but we’ll have privacy there”

“Mmm” John answered, burrowing further in Sherlock’s chest, relaxing even more. Sherlock just chuckled and pushed John softly

“Bed, my love” Sherlock whispered and wrapped a towel around John, drying him rapidly

“Thank you, my sweetness” John stifled a yawn and allowed his husband to carry him to their bed, Sherlock smiled at him and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, smiling fondly when John, more asleep than anything, scrunched his nose and burrowed further in Sherlock’s arms. Sherlock put John to bed with a low huff and nestled next to him, holding his husband to his chest and enjoying the feeling of an absolutely relaxed John

The Store Beach was everything they wanted and needed. Bell had fun trying to find the penguins, whilst Hamish attempted another frustrated escape from his parents trying to walk away, but failing miserably and having to crawl back to his parents

“He’ll be the first to leave us” John sighed and smiled at his son

“He has your adventurous spirit” Sherlock leaned close and kissed John’s shoulder

“And your restless mind” John smiled at Sherlock and leaned closer for a proper kiss

“I noticed” Sherlock looked at their son as he made his way back to his parents “he’s very insightful and clever for his short age” John nodded “He already calls you Pa and calls me Da, so he identifies us” He saw Hamish trying to stand up once more and failing miserably

“Bell’s a good influence” They saw the little girl sitting next to her brother and trying to play with him, chatting happily with the little baby and holding Hamish’s raptured attention, for a few seconds… at least… “I hope they are good siblings to each other”

“They will be” Sherlock smiled and stood from the spot in the sand he’d been siting for the last twenty minutes, he went to his children and picked them both in his arms, making Bell giggle and Hamish wrestle furiously to be put back on the sand. Bell touched Hamish’s shoulder and the baby stayed calm, following her big sister’s example

They stayed the entire day at the beach and the boat came promptly before the penguins made their appearance. Bell glimpsed a couple and wanted to go back to the island, but Sherlock promised to her that they will revisit the Aquarium and she will be able to see as many penguins as she wanted  

Their days in Australia were coming to an end. Like he had done in all the other places, Sherlock took John to visit the places he had stayed, and helped a few of the homeless that had helped him while he was in Australia, one of them, Frank, was very thankful to Sherlock, because of him he had a job now and was living in Sydney, near the harbour. John the proudest man on earth, smiled at his husband, kissed him softly, held his hand and said “yes, he’s my husband”

That night, the plane was ready for them, Hamish was already asleep, and all they had to do was settle comfortably and wait to land in Tokyo


	126. Australia. August 2nd to August 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luckily for them, they arrived in the early hours of the morning, and Sherlock had planned the day, as usual, to fit the children’s needs and John’s aching body. He decided to take the car everywhere, and rest whenever he felt John’s pain in his own body. They went to the Chinese Garden of Friendship and ended their first day at the Sydney Observatory. In the afternoon, exhausted, they returned to their hotel and Sherlock prepared a special bath for them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday. I had intended to, but my little niece was just born in the afternoon hours, two pm Ecuadorian time. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and supporting my writing. Love you all to pieces

After the most amazing night of their lives, when everything came together, mind, body and soul, the family got in a plane and after twenty hours, they arrived to Australia. Sherlock could feel John’s distress under his skin. He tried everything he could to distract his husband form the fact that Hamish cried his lungs out for half the trip, and Bell was acting like the proper, stubborn Holmes she was for the other half. Sherlock tried everything, even pretending he wasn’t distressed himself

Unfortunately for Sherlock, John could feel him too, and the more Sherlock tried, the angrier and distressed John became, until things snapped and John grabbed Hamish and walked him until the baby fell asleep, and the proceeded to chastise Bell for her behaviour, feeling how Sherlock relaxed and he relaxed even more.

“My love” John whispered and Sherlock turned his head to look at him. They shared a silent conversation, apologising, understanding each other, almost the same way Mycroft and Sherlock used to fight, silently, either starting or finishing an argument with one look.

“I love you” Sherlock let out in a long breath with a smile that said it all and that made John close his eyes and smile.

As soon as they arrived, the black car was there for them, Mycroft at the ready. The hotel room was ready too, a suite for them and the children. The Penthouse at the Establishment hotel had everything they needed, including the always needed bathtub to bathe the children.

Luckily for them, they arrived in the early hours of the morning, and Sherlock had planned the day, as usual, to fit the children’s needs and John’s aching body. He decided to take the car everywhere, and rest whenever he felt John’s pain in his own body. They went to the Chinese Garden of Friendship and ended their first day at the Sydney Observatory. In the afternoon, exhausted, they returned to their hotel and Sherlock prepared a special bath for them

The next day Sherlock took them to the Sea Life Aquarium and walked hand in hand with John, sharing the silence while Bell admired each animal. In the afternoon, and at the Botanical Garden, Sherlock found a bench and sat there, watching as Bell played and as Hamish tried to walk away from his parents for the first time. The baby had taken his first steps as a birthday gift for John, just a few, but right at the same time as his father, meaning Sherlock, did.

John was smiling, but he knew what was coming; they had silently agreed not to talk about what had happened in Australia while in the plane, but the time was coming. At this point, John already knew what might have happened; Sherlock was following someone, maybe a drug lord or a man involved in human trafficking. He also knew that Sherlock might have been tortured, followed, his life threatened… Before Sherlock could start speaking John held his hand and took a deep breath

“All I want to know is if you had help here” John said, squeezing Sherlock’s hand

“Gustav, Jacques and Paul helped me here” Sherlock smiled reassuringly at John

“That’s all I wanted to know” John breathed and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder

“Are you sure” Sherlock moved slightly and wrapping his arm around John

“You were tortured?” John asked in a whisper, Sherlock nodded “The scars on your upper arms?” Sherlock nodded again “They found you”

“Yes” Sherlock answered in a low voice “I was living as a homeless at Wentworth Park, and managed to create a homeless network during my first week here” Sherlock continued his story but stopped as soon as he felt John’s discomfort

“You lived rough for how long?” John swallowed hard and tried to see it as a simple story

“For about two weeks,” Sherlock swallowed hard too, trying to control his emotions to not disturb John even more “The first three days I spent identifying the dealers, not following them, Paul and Jacques did the leg work, I had to find the exchange spots” Sherlock breathed deep, experiencing first-hand the way John was feeling “They found me after a week and a half at the Park and took me to a hiding place at Wollemi National Park and interrogated me for about three days until I gathered all the information I needed”

“Three days?” John was shivering and Sherlock held him close, staying silent for a while until John calmed down, the nausea Sherlock was feeling was probably coming from John “And who found you?” His voice was trembling

“Gustav” Sherlock answered softly “He killed all the men that were torturing me” This time the nausea was his and he knew John was feeling it too

“How many?” John’s voice cracked, he moved closer to Sherlock and hid his face in his neck

“Seven” Sherlock inhaled deeply, relaxing with John’s scent

“You came here after Japan, right?” Sherlock nodded “And you were following someone?” Sherlock shook his head “Then?”

“I had to follow a lead” Sherlock squeezed John and John relaxed slightly in his arms “The Australians were helping the Chinese and the Japanese smuggling antiquities, one of the many stops before the goods entered the country” Sherlock explained “One of the many smuggling rings had his centre of operations right here in Sydney, they would take the good through the artists at the Sydney Opera House, amongst props and other stuff”

“Quite clever” John snorted

“Not as much as you might think” Sherlock shook his head “Some of the antiquities were severely damaged during the trip and they had to change strategies” Sherlock started to explain “As you know Van Coon and Lukis were “on foot” soldiers, taking one item, maybe two at the time, but with the performers it was easier to enter several antiquities at the time, mostly from Japan”

“And how they managed to smuggle the objects without breaking them?” John was breathing evenly, finally

“By using other propos to protect the goods, by the time the performers reached customs, the antiquities will be passed as props and they would use the broken items to charge the freight company for damages done to theatre good”

“So a very round business, smuggling, embezzlement and fraud”

“Exactly” Sherlock nodded “A few of the performers knew about the ruse and were arrested, but the truly guilty parties were the grips and the stage crew” Sherlock moved John’s hand to his lips and kissed it “One of the crew members, I think it was one of the electricians, he was the one that tortured me” John tensed in Sherlock’s arms and Sherlock remained silent until John took a deep breath as of asking him to continue “Fortunately, Gustav was there before they could do much damage, from Sydney I had to go to New York… It was long, tiresome…” Sherlock let out a long breath

“I love you” John kissed Sherlock deeply and smiled, sending all his love through this new found… bond… and Sherlock felt it in his every bone and returned the kiss, conveying all he was feeling in that pass of lips over lips

“I love you” He sighed against John’s lips and held him close. Bell was there next to them, and little Hamish, whose escaping trick turned out to be an utter failure, was crawling back to them, holding to Daaa’s, meaning Sherlock’s, leg and demanding their full attention.

John chuckled and picked up his little girl as Sherlock picked up the little boy, he stood and helped John up and walked hand in hand out of the Garden

“To where are we going tomorrow” John asked as he settled between Sherlock’s legs in the bathtub

“I was thinking we could go to the beach” Sherlock wrapped his arms and legs around John’s body and kissed his neck

“I like the idea” John hummed and rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder; enjoying the attention his husband was currently giving his ear shell

“I was thinking Bondi Beach, but Mycroft suggested taking a boat to Store Beach. It might take us a couple of hours to go and come back to Sydney, but we’ll have privacy there”

“Mmm” John answered, burrowing further in Sherlock’s chest, relaxing even more. Sherlock just chuckled and pushed John softly

“Bed, my love” Sherlock whispered and wrapped a towel around John, drying him rapidly

“Thank you, my sweetness” John stifled a yawn and allowed his husband to carry him to their bed, Sherlock smiled at him and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, smiling fondly when John, more asleep than anything, scrunched his nose and burrowed further in Sherlock’s arms. Sherlock put John to bed with a low huff and nestled next to him, holding his husband to his chest and enjoying the feeling of an absolutely relaxed John

The Store Beach was everything they wanted and needed. Bell had fun trying to find the penguins, whilst Hamish attempted another frustrated escape from his parents trying to walk away, but failing miserably and having to crawl back to his parents

“He’ll be the first to leave us” John sighed and smiled at his son

“He has your adventurous spirit” Sherlock leaned close and kissed John’s shoulder

“And your restless mind” John smiled at Sherlock and leaned closer for a proper kiss

“I noticed” Sherlock looked at their son as he made his way back to his parents “he’s very insightful and clever for his short age” John nodded “He already calls you Pa and calls me Da, so he identifies us” He saw Hamish trying to stand up once more and failing miserably

“Bell’s a good influence” They saw the little girl sitting next to her brother and trying to play with him, chatting happily with the little baby and holding Hamish’s raptured attention, for a few seconds… at least… “I hope they are good siblings to each other”

“They will be” Sherlock smiled and stood from the spot in the sand he’d been siting for the last twenty minutes, he went to his children and picked them both in his arms, making Bell giggle and Hamish wrestle furiously to be put back on the sand. Bell touched Hamish’s shoulder and the baby stayed calm, following her big sister’s example

They stayed the entire day at the beach and the boat came promptly before the penguins made their appearance. Bell glimpsed a couple and wanted to go back to the island, but Sherlock promised to her that they will revisit the Aquarium and she will be able to see as many penguins as she wanted  

Their days in Australia were coming to an end. Like he had done in all the other places, Sherlock took John to visit the places he had stayed, and helped a few of the homeless that had helped him while he was in Australia, one of them, Frank, was very thankful to Sherlock, because of him he had a job now and was living in Sydney, near the harbour. John the proudest man on earth, smiled at his husband, kissed him softly, held his hand and said “yes, he’s my husband”

That night, the plane was ready for them, Hamish was already asleep, and all they had to do was settle comfortably and wait to land in Tokyo                


	127. Japan. August 9th to August 19th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I only need to know three things” John touched Sherlock’s shoulder and had him look at him, Sherlock nodded and John took a deep breath “Who was here with you, how long you were here and if you were…” John let out a long breath “tortured”
> 
> “Yes” Sherlock whispered “Guido, Alec and Sergei were here for me” He pulled John close and carded his fingers in his hair “I was here for three weeks” He grabbed John’s face in his hands “And, no, I was not tortured” John let out a sigh of relief

After nine and half hours they landed in Tokyo. Unlike the previous trip, that was long and lasted almost a day, the nine hours were a breeze. Hamish slept almost all night and woke up like a clock at six in the morning, just an hour before the plane landed. Bell slept through the night too, and Mycroft took the precaution to “upgrade” the plane with a bed for the both of them

“I thought we were going to a hotel” John said climbing out of the car and walking to cabin that will take them to their yacht

“I’m sorry for not telling you before, but I thought it was best to have enough… room…” Sherlock scratched the back of his neck and looked at John apologetically

“Oh love” John looked at Sherlock and smiled “I’m just surprised” he leaned close for a kiss

“Hotel rooms here are a bit… small…” Sherlock tried not to whine when he said that “We might not be able to share the room with the children, and we’ll be bumping into each other all the time” The mighty pout made its appearance

“I imagined as much” John chuckled and pulled his husband close and helped him to the cabin. The only reason to go to the yacht was to leave the bags and tell the captain to be ready to move at short notice

The first place Sherlock took John was to Shinjuku-Gyoen Park; they decided to leave Bell home, because the little girl was reluctant to leave her toys, her room and the movie she was currently watching. Amanda agreed to take care of the children and call them in case the children needed them

“How come we’re visiting a park first?” John was holding Sherlock’s hand and looking outside the car window, absolutely fascinated by the sight

“For our talk” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand “Unless…” He looked outside the window

“I only need to know three things” John touched Sherlock’s shoulder and had him look at him, Sherlock nodded and John took a deep breath “Who was here with you, how long you were here and if you were…” John let out a long breath “tortured”

“Yes” Sherlock whispered “Guido, Alec and Sergei were here for me” He pulled John close and carded his fingers in his hair “I was here for three weeks” He grabbed John’s face in his hands “And, no, I was not tortured” John let out a sigh of relief

“You were following a smuggler” John stated and Sherlock nodded “Since China?”

“No…” Sherlock shook his head “Since Russia” He sighed “One of Gavrilov’s men” Sherlock bit his lower lip “Japan has a very… intricate… system…” Sherlock huffed “And I’m not supposed to discuss anything with anyone” He tried to smile “I was briefly involved with the…” Sherlock scratched the back of his neck

“Don’t worry love” John rubbed Sherlock’s cheek softly “I already told you I don’t want to know” He leaned close to Sherlock and Sherlock rested his head on John’s shoulder

“Yakuza” He whispered on John’s ear and bit his earlobe, making it look as if John was surprised by the bite and not by the information. John looked at Sherlock and Sherlock’s eyes told him everything, he needed to remain calm and cool, surprised and excited by the bite, the city, and his sweet husband

The moment they arrived to the park Sherlock leaned close to John as they walked silently around the garden “You were in danger all the time” Sherlock nodded and John held him closer “And you managed to infiltrate the biggest mafia family” Sherlock nodded again

“Much like in Italy” He whispered against John temple “They are watching me, and I had to help the lesser evil in order to avoid the bigger evil to take over one the most ancient families in Japan”

“So they are grateful”

“You may say so” Sherlock nodded “They protected me and thanks to them I made it to Australia before the Chinese found me again, they lost sight of me while I was in Thailand” John paled and doubted they should go to China “We’ll be fine in China, my love” Sherlock kissed John softly on the lips, reading his mind and knowing his worries perfectly “Mycroft made sure that none remained” He smiled a bit wickedly

John sagged a bit and rested his full body weight in Sherlock’s arms “I don’t want to know anything else” He whispered against Sherlock’s chest “I’m just glad to be here, with you by my side” He smiled and kissed Sherlock’s chest. He noticed over the corner of his eye how their security detail closed up on them and pushed himself away from Sherlock

“We better go” Sherlock took John’s elbow and walked him out of the Park and back to the car

“Where to next?” John asked softly as he leaned his head in the seat of the car

“Shibuya crossing” Sherlock ordered the driver and the arrived to a very busy street, much like Madison Square. They ate whatever they found at Shibuya Centre-gai before going to the Nezu Museum. By the end of the afternoon, all John wanted was to rest and Sherlock complied; he prepared a bath for them, and before they knew it they were in bed, together, fast asleep.

“I think we should take Bell back to Nezu” John suggested the next morning during breakfast

“I think it’s a good idea, I don’t like her watching telly the entire day” Sherlock picked some fruit and fed it to Hamish

“I enjoyed the visit very much, the garden was beautiful, and I know she’ll love the exhibits” Sherlock fed Bell some fruit too and the girl ate it eagerly

“After Nezu we could go to Meiji-jingu” Sherlock picked Hamish up

“Meiji?” John picked Bell

“A Shinto shrine, my love, but maybe we should go there first, because it closes before two, and we can go to the museum in the afternoon” He suggested and John nodded.

The plan went well, they went to the shrine and Bell was fascinated with the wooden tablets; in the afternoon, they arrived to Mezu and in the end, Bell didn’t want to leave the garden. Happy to have their little girl back, they planned to visit three more museums the next day, minding not to bore the little lady much, but tire her enough to share a night out in the city

In the morning the went to the National Museum of Modern Art and by the afternoon they were walking through the Imperial Palace before ending their night at one of the many sushi places, drinking a bit too much sake for their sake (sorry… I couldn’t help it…). The next morning, a but hungover, and very tired, they took the children to Ueno Zoo and Bell was captivated by the pandas. They spent half the day at the zoo before heading to Bunkamura, Tokyo’s ‘culture village’, that night, the visited the Beer Museum Yebisu

One of the places Sherlock wanted to take John was RiSuPia, a scientific museum were he had to hide for a day before one of the Yakuza members came to his rescue and he was “delivered” to Sergei. He showed John the “maths exhibit” as he called the room, before taking John to the Quest Gallery and the Discovery Field. Bell had as much fun as Daddy Sher; she even learnt how to do maths even before she knew exactly how numbers worked. Sherlock was truly excited about this development and took to heart to teach their daughter about maths and science

The next place that had Sherlock excited about visiting it was the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, the Miraikan, or Hall to the Future; Bell enjoyed her time with ASIMO, while Sherlock explored the Science workshop with the children and enjoyed it as a children, but not before he went to Curiosity Field with both his children. John just shook his head, rolled his eyes and looked fondly at his husband, feeling happy to see him so relaxed and being able to enjoy this little time they had together with their children while they were children   

Their last night in Japan, John gave Sherlock a helicopter tour of the city, and a special visit to Mount Fuji. They both were flabbergasted by the sights and John enjoyed the tour more than he enjoyed flying the helicopter. Their final day in Japan, Sherlock treated John with a visit to the TOP Museum, a photography museum in the morning, and in the afternoon JCII Camera Museum, only to give John a little pleasure.   

As soon as they were done with the museums, they headed to the Tokyo airport and headed to China. To their surprise, Mycroft was waiting for them with one of the Yakuza leaders, and Sherlock knew a case was waiting for them and he had no way to say no


	128. China. August 19th to September 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why Hong Kong?” John asked before he climbed down the plane  
> “To see a man about a woman” Sherlock answered simply  
> “About a woman?” John quirked a brow  
> “Yes, about a two feet woman that I plan to send back to London as soon as I find her” Sherlock chuckled and pulled John for a passionate kiss

Three hours later they finally arrived to Beijing. The hotel Mycroft booked was in the Forbidden City and before they could even enjoy a few minutes in their hotel room, they were being taken to a hidden location. The Yakuza man was talking to Mycroft when he received a call and nodded to one of his men and he opened the door and the Triad man arrived, sitting right next to him

The negotiation started, all of them needed to hire Sherlock’s services because they wanted, actually needed, to find this man, considered as the “Godfather” of several mafia families, from the Russians to the Mexicans. He was some sort of negotiator; he had contact with ever government and every mafia family of the world, he was able to talk to each member of the government without fearing being killed by any of the family members.

They talked to Sherlock and he just nodded every once in a while, while reading the files of the man in question, the missing woman and the files the Yakuza and the Triad provided. Sherlock immediately knew that he wasn’t interviewing the guilty parties; Mycroft was very honest about the information he had and Sherlock scowled when he realised his brother wasn’t lying to him.

He interviewed a few other members of other mafias, from the Maras to the Turkish and called in a few favours to find the woman. His Thai connection confirmed she was there after three days of searching and calling in for favours. Sherlock received her at the airport and conducted the interview there. It took him another day to find out her plans and what he wanted “a crime of passion, love is a human error, as always” Sherlock said and John felt a pang of pain in his chest, Sherlock noticed, the pain, the void in the middle of his chest, he turned and reached for John

“I have a mask to keep, my sweet love” He whispered in John’s ear “Some of these people know about our relationship, some not, and I rather keep it like that” John nodded and Sherlock continued “I love you, and loving you is not human error. I love you” Sherlock whispered and kissed John’s ear. He could feel John relax and breathe more easily “I’m sorry” He whispered and John smiled up at him

“Go” John patted his shoulder, wanting more than anything to pat Sherlock’s buttock “Be my lovely, cold and distant detective” He smiled again and chased Sherlock away to face the music

Sherlock gave the information to the families and told them the reason behind the act of cannibalism they had committed. The woman was in love with the “Godfather” and wanted revenge. The case was closed after the Chinese government decided to put the woman in jail, but Sherlock knew the case wasn’t closed, he investigated a few more things and discovered that the “Godfather” had a few other women on the side, one of them found about the others, called a few favours and had the man killed. The final lead Sherlock needed was to confirm he was… emasculated…

After the case, they returned to the hotel and John helped Sherlock find the other women and confirm that it all was a crime of passion, as he had already asserted. With the case put to rest, Sherlock and John could come back to their planned travel and enjoy China as much as possible.

Their first free day, Sherlock took John to the Great Wall in a helicopter. Bell was able to run around the wall, surrounded by her security detail and a few Triad members “I can’t believe I’m here” John was struck dumb by the sight and Sherlock was smiling happily next to him, holding his hand and looking ahead

“I know” Sherlock let out a long and happy breath “Come, my sweet love” He pulled John by the hand and walked along the wall, watching Bell have fun, keeping an eye on their security detail and the Triad men. The walked along the wall for an entire day, stopping in Badaling,Mutianyu, Juyongguan and Simatai. By the time their day was coming to a close, Sherlock had the helicopter ready to return them to their hotel.

The next day they went to the Forbidden City, the edification had Sherlock befuddled, whilst John couldn’t believe his luck as they walked, hand in hand, through the Literary Glory. Bell had the most fun at the Qianlong Garden and of course at the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. The quickly walked through the Drum Tower, and the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Once again, their day was spent at the city until late, and John couldn’t be happier.

Their third day in Beijing they went to the Summer Palace, visiting the Boathouses, the harmonious Interest Garden and of course the Jade River; with some luck, they managed to visit the Capital Museum for a couple of hours before going back to their hotel and collapsing on their bed.

In the early morning of their fourth day, Sherlock woke John up and before John knew it they were out of the hotel and on their way to the Ming Tombs “I had to hide here for two days” Sherlock said as if he was explaining a painting, a calculated move, in order not to startle John too much

“You wrote me from here?” John tried to add nonchalance to the question, failing miserably, he tried to hide the pang of pain he felt, but Sherlock knew exactly what he just felt and squeezed his hand.

“No” Sherlock shook his head “I wrote you from a factory just outside Beijing. I was being followed by some of Shen’s men” Sherlock squeezed John’s hand again “Well, Moriarty’s…”

“Don’t” John moved closer to Sherlock and leaned his head on his chest “Just three questions” Sherlock nodded “Who was here to help you, how long were you here and were you tortured” the same three questions he needed answered every single time

“Guido, Alec and Sergei were here. I was here for about three week, and yes, I was tortured”

“They found you?”

“Yes, after I ran away from the factory with Guido’s help”

“They found you again”

“They found us. I had Guido running away… I thought all was lost”

“For how long…? John shook his head, he didn’t want to know, but he wanted to know

“Five days. Mycroft intervened in the end and Sergei was there to take me with him to a hospital. The called Jacques and Alec came to see me before I was released, he had managed to finish with Shen´s network and I was ready to be moved to Thailand, they had to hide me”

“From them?” John eyed the Triad men

“No” Sherlock looked at them too an smiled at the one nearest to Bell “They were actually quite helpful, they were thankful I helped them get rid of Moriarty’s network. Such families are usually very… sensitive…” Sherlock cleared his throat “About having to… let’s say… hum… share… well… they are quite… territorial” He bit his lower lip and made John chuckle

“I’m glad we have a triad to protect us” John shook his head and tried not to sound as relieved as he was feeling

“Well…” Sherlock started walking again “Tomorrow we’re going to Xi’an” Sherlock informed John

“Xi’an?”

“To visit the terracotta soldiers” Sherlock beamed at John and John patted his hand softly

“So we will” He smiled, forgetting al about the Chinese part of Sherlock’s story. He already knew what had happened, he had seen it all over Sherlock’s back, legs, arms, the way he flinched when they visited certain parts of certain countries, the nightmares, the dark stories, and him speaking in Serbian on those nights when his mind was restless…

They arrive to Xi’an in the early morning of the fifth day. Sherlock was uncontainable, as he always was, but more so from the minute he saw the first terracotta horses. With a special permission they were allowed to visit the inner most parts of the tomb. John let go of Sherlock’s hand, feeling the joy Sherlock was feeling as his own.

“He’s like a child” Amanda was standing there, next to John, Holding little Bell

“He is” John nodded and smiled, watching fondly at the lanky git he had loved for so many years. Sherlock turned and winked at John, signalling for him to follow. John did, happily, firing his camera left and right, capturing what he could of Sherlock’s essence. The day was over sooner than they had expected and the helicopter was there for them to take them to Hong King before the night fell over Xi’an and the tomb.

“Why Hong Kong?” John asked before he climbed down the plane

“To see a man about a woman” Sherlock answered simply

“About a woman?” John quirked a brow

“Yes, about a two feet woman that I plan to send back to London as soon as I find her” Sherlock chuckled and pulled John for a passionate kiss “Now, to our hotel, before we fall asleep in the car” Sherlock smiled and walked out

The next morning, Sherlock met with one of the most famous doll makers in China, he expected to find the man in Beijing, but had to follow him to Hong Kong. He gave the specifications for the dolls he wanted and was assured they’ll be delivered to London in the requested date; he also had several small dolls made and delivered by the same date, October 31st            

After his meeting, Sherlock was ready to show Hong Kong to John, he had planned a few visits, but John was exhausted and they spent half the day at Madame Tussauds, and the other half at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon” Sherlock said while he rubbed John’s feet

“Thailand” John tried to stifle a moan and made Sherlock smirk

“Yes. And we have to visit Mali’s family”

“Wouldn’t that get us in a bit of trouble?” John asked, not as worried as he should be

“I said dangerous…” Sherlock smirked and John laughed heartily, pushing himself up and pulling Sherlock down to kiss him just the way they both liked

They spent the morning in the Heritage Museum and by noon they were ready to take the plane. Sherlock made sure John had some Italian “Too much Chinese” he complained at some point and they were on their way to Thailand


	129. Thailand and Mali’s family. September 1st to September 6th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where’re we going?”  
> “The market” Sherlock pointed to a busy street and John quirked a brow at him “I want to show you where I hid the two weeks I spent here in Bangkok” Sherlock said

After two and a half hours, a movie, Italian and some music, they arrived to Bangkok. As John expected, the city was beautiful, noisy and full of life. It was hot, humid, not as excruciating as John imagined, but he was already regretting wearing his linen trousers instead of the linen short Sherlock offered him before the flight

Hamish started crying as soon as he felt the heat rise up, and Sherlock took the clothing away from the baby, except his nappy. The short walk to the car was a bit excruciating with all the bags and the two children, but they managed to get in, turn the air conditioning on and drive quietly to their yacht.

“No hotel?” John asked when he saw their yacht

“Nope” Sherlock popped the p

“Why?” John was feeling hot and tired, and more than annoyed with it

“Because in the ship we can control the temperature, we can leave Mish and Bell with Amanda, and mostly because we can cook our own food” Sherlock explained and reached for John’s hand, trying to calm him. John nodded and squeezed Sherlock’s hand

The moment they arrived to their ship, the staff had already acclimatised it for the family and John breathed happily for the first time in what seemed like hours. The heat was bearable, but what he couldn’t stand was the humidity, even though he was in India, for Christ sake

“I’ve been in India, for fucks sake” John complained the minute they left the ship to go explore the city early the next morning

“You’ll get used to the heat soon, my love” Sherlock patted John’s shoulder and walked beside him, their pinkies entwined

“I hope so” he breathed deeply in and out before he almost chocked down a bottle of water “So” John looked at Sherlock “Where’re we going?”

“The market” Sherlock pointed to a busy street and John quirked a brow at him “I want to show you where I hid the two weeks I spent here in Bangkok” Sherlock said

“Oh…” John whispered and followed his husband through the busy streets of Nonthaburi Market 

“Here I met Mali’s parents” Sherlock showed John one of the many stalls selling spices “They used to sell spices, they would allow me to stay in their stall during the night and I had to be gone before nine am, most vendors leave at that time. They helped me a lot, because they lend me a boat and I used to sleep by the river most nights, and with their help I was able to follow the lead that brought me here from China” Sherlock explained and turned when a woman offered him some fruit. He accepted gladly and recognised one of the many people that had helped him while in Thailand

“Thewdā” She said and smiled and Sherlock blushed, he tried to pay for the mangoes but she shook her head and left

“What was all that about?” John looked at Sherlock and brushed a stray curl form his eyes and looked the tears that were threatening to fall

“She just called me angel” He smiled “I helped her save her daughter from a fate similar to Mali’s” Sherlock smiled “No one has ever treated me like they did here, with such respect, compassion…” He shook his head “No one, until you” He reached for John’s hand and kissed it. Their security detail was there at the ready just in case, but Sherlock shook his head and the people at the market celebrated him showing his affection for his man, by cheering a bit, whistling and some of them offering flowers to the happy couple

“They love you” John whispered and Sherlock nodded, a sweet smile spread over his lips “You helped many girls?”

“I did” Sherlock nodded “Mycroft is protecting them and we managed to get rid of the human trafficking network that Moriarty had helped create here” Sherlock took a deep breath “I thought I’ll be following smugglers from China, I never imagined I’ll find a huge network of human traffic here” Sherlock continued walking and occasionally smiling to a few men and women that approached him with fruits, flowers and spices

“You got them arrested?”

“Nope” Sherlock looked away

“You had them killed” Sherlock closed his eyes and gave a single nod

“Here” Sherlock pulled John close and had him right in front of a stall were a beautiful, old and wise-looking woman was collecting her goods “Mæ̀1” Sherlock called and she looked up

“Butr chāy2” Her eyes lit up, a smile across her lips. She stood up and reached for Sherlock, goods forgotten

“P̄hm nảḳh k̄hxng c̄hạn3” Sherlock pointed at John and the woman smiled, reaching for John and kissing his cheeks. John smiled awkwardly but allowed the woman to do as she pleased “John, this is Mali’s grandmother, Hathai4” Sherlock introduced her and the woman just smiled and nodded, then she pulled Sherlock’s shirt and motioned for him to follow. They found a man sitting in a boat waiting for the woman; he smiled as soon as he saw Sherlock and reached for his hand. Sherlock helped him out of the boat and hugged him. “Ph̀x, Nī̂ khụ̄x cxh̄̒ k̄hxng c̄hạn5” Sherlock pointed at John again and the man bowed his head, John did the same “john, this is Mali’s grandfather, Praset6”.

They followed the couple in silence and ended up at a house near the river where the couple share some tea with them. They were all smiles, and John felt at home, Sherlock gestured and talked to them for a while, John inferred he was giving them news about Mali. Before they left, Sherlock handed them some documents, and according to him, those were the papers they needed to go and live in Brazil with Mali and their family, but as Praset had said to him, he had never left Bangkok and he will never leave

They said goodbye to the couple and headed back to their ship. John was tired but excited at the same time, he felt such peace, even though he was surrounded by their security detail, which had increased in the last couple of weeks since they arrived to Asia

“Thank you” John reached for Sherlock over their dining table and squeezed his hand

“It had to be shared” Sherlock smiled “Not all was as bad as it seemed. I must say” Sherlock cleared his throat because he was overcome with emotion “Having to hide what I learnt during this… hiatus… in my time with you, changed me… Being here and in Nepal helped me quite a bit… Somehow it humbled me…” Sherlock tried to hide the tears

“But my blog constructed you in a way that made you…” John looked down

“I’m glad to put on a mask for the public, but with you, my John” Sherlock made John look up with a gentle hand on his chin “I want you to know that I feel you… with every fibre of my being” He leaned close and kissed John

“I love you” John whispered against Sherlock’s lips and surrendered to the kiss, Sherlock kissed him happily, and before they knew it they were trying to find the next comfortable horizontal surface available

In the afternoon, with the temperature down a bit after a little rain, Sherlock took his family to the Children’s Discovery Museum and back to their ship before the heat took over John’s mind. The next morning, with the entire day planned, they went to Siriraj Medical Museum, for John’s pleasure, before visiting the Ancient City. They decided to visit just two museums at the time, as not to exhaust themselves because of the heat and the humidity

Sherlock had his hair all mussed up all the time and John kept on mussing it even more. During their days in Bangkok, they took Bell to the Bangkok Doll Factory and Museum, before going to the Royal Thai Elephant Museum and King Bhumibol Photography Exhibitions. Their last full day, they visited the National Museum and the Museum of Siam.

Their last morning in Bangkok had them resting in each other’s arms, a lazy morning for the both of them after a long night out. Sherlock wanted to give John a little bit of fun, just like they had in Brazil, but the humid heat was almost unbearable and John drank his weight in beer, Sherlock had to take him back to the ship while John confessed his love to him under the moon and the stars. Their security detail help Sherlock to get John in the ship, and in bed, where once again, John promised to rock Sherlock’s world.

Once John was fully rested and rehydrated, Sherlock asked the driver to take them to the airport, they’ll be arriving to Kathmandu before nightfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Mom  
> 2 Son  
> 3 I brought my John   
> 4 Heart   
> 5 Dad, this is my John   
> 6 Man of excellence


	130. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson. September 10th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A silly case, more a joke than anything... hope you enjoy it

**The mysterious monk (shall I call it the Abominable Monk?) (John, please…S)**

I visited Nepal, I can’t believe it! I had to leave my daughter with one of Sherlock’s security details but I had the time of my life. I can’t believe we had to solve a case in Kathmandu; I’m still grinning like mad, another dream come true thanks to my dear, dear friend, the one and only, Sherlock Holmes

He called me from Bangkok! God knows what he was doing there… And he said we had a case in Nepal. My first question was “We?” and he eagerly ( **I was not eager…S** ) (Yeah, you were, you practically begged me to take the case, love) ( **I had other reasons to beg, I you recall properly… (wink) S** ) (Sherlock, please… stop flirting with me over my blog… By the way… why are you hacking my blog?) answered “I’ll be lost without my blogger” -the oldest inner joke we have- So I packed my bags and booked the first flight to Nepal I could find

I arrived in the afternoon and the first thing I noticed is that we weren’t heading to Tibet, as I suspected, but directly to Kathmandu. Sherlock explained that he could take me to Tibet if I wanted, but that he needed my help first with finding a mysterious monk… You may recall my recount of Sherlock’s feverish fantasy, The Abominable Bride, and I though he was joking when he said that it all involved around a ghost

Well, since my acquaintance with Sherlock, I’ve been proved wrong time and again, and truly, I’m not beyond being fooled over and over by the same tricks, simply played by different people

In the beginning, the case seemed simple enough to conduct a few interviews and find the mysterious monk every other monk at Kopan Monastery had seen in the last couple of weeks. At first I thought they were hallucinating, but one of the nights I had to stay there with Sherlock, I saw him too, walking around the temple and the monastery

Sherlock yelled at me “There are no ghosts” But I had seen one, at least I was certain I had… As Sherlock explained later, it was a product of my feeble imagination, but I could see the fear in his eyes, much the same way I had during the Hound case all those years ago, we both were trembling and all I could do was stay silent and watch the man walk through a wall right in front of me…

The next morning Sherlock had solved the case, or at least he though he did, He found the wall and tried to move it, walk through it, bit his efforts didn’t pay and we had to stay another night to look for this mysterious monk that was terrorising -a little, not much, because these men are used to all sorts of… let’s call it… paranormal… situations- the monastery

Sherlock stayed up all night, looking for the mysterious monk, and what he found had him baffled. The next morning he was eager to show me his findings, it was all an illusion game created by the oldest monk in the monastery, a mummy and a few smoke illusions… The mysterious monk always appeared in the prayer room, all the incense, the low light and the columns made it the perfect location for an a “apparition” to make its appearance (redundant… I know…)

The monk usually appeared between five and six in the morning, and eight or nine in the night. Right before bed time and during meditation and prayer hours, Sherlock sat with the monks for hours on end and he will look at each of them intently, trying to find the monk that was playing the prank. He found a long corridor hidden by a wooden door that seemed like part of the wall, if you looked form the right angle, you could see the opening, if you looked from the wrong angle, you could be fooled by the well positioned mirrors in the walls and miss the hidden entrance by a mile. The smoke and the light helped too, the effect help hid the entrance.

Sherlock found the mummy that replaced the mysterious monk, he studied it and the resemblance with the mysterious monk was uncanny, but it was all because the mysterious monk, the ultimate prankster, made himself look like the mummified master.. Sherlock followed him and found him in his rooms, getting ready to pull the prank again. It was a sort of joke to find out how clever Sherlock was…

Sherlock found him, of course, after a terrible scare, a shouting, two days of running behind and apparent ghost, a fight with me, and the increasing need of consuming a while bottle of scotch… The monk, Daiho1, was the one to take care of Sherlock while he was last in the Monastery, he had seen him discover the thief that was hiding amongst them and was the one to help him find her.

In his desire to see Sherlock once more, he devised a plan with his brothers and got their Dae Shim2 back in the temple accompanied by his -oh well…- Eisho3. The next few days we shared with the monks were quite fun, insightful and full of learning and love. In a way the healed me, made me more confident and trusting… I know understand why Sherlock called me to find the mysterious monk… Little did I know he was the one we came looking for…

( **You just humanised me, love, thank you so much… I love you, S** )

(That’s why I’m here for… I love you my mysterious monk. Thank you for showing me that other part of you most people miss in my stories. I love you, John)

For those who need the names translated here they are J.W

1 Great Dharma

2 Great Mind

3 Eternal Illumination


	131. Kathmandu. September 6th to September 15th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day, much to Daiho's momentary disappointment, the Holmes-Watson family said goodbye to their monastery friends and headed to Kathmandu. Sherlock wanted to show John other places, sleep in the same bed, hold his hand, even if it was just for a brief moment, steal a furtive kiss, hold him, make love to him, and John couldn’t agree more. He enjoyed the spiritual trip, but at the same time, even though he experienced feeling Sherlock in a different way, holding his hand, being lulled to sleep by his heart, and feeling his warm hand on his own, was something John’s wasn’t willing to give up.

“Dae Shim, you came” Daiho greeted Sherlock outside the Monastery. After talking to the monks, Sherlock had arranged to stay at the monastery while he solved the case and they all agreed. The Holmes-Watson family was able to leave the monastery when they pleased, but had to respect the rules stablished at the Kopan Monastery; no sex, no drugs, no alcohol, no demonstrations of affection and separate beds for couples, no matter the sex…

Sherlock had to agree, mostly because he wanted to show John how he had lived during his stay in Nepal, and how the monks had helped him find a thief and get his health back. During the first few days they were in case mode, Sherlock had lost his temper with John, had yelled at him at the simple suggestion of a ghost being real, and of course they had a huge fight

Since there was no place to run or hide, John had to face his husband late that night and they had to talk, John listened to Sherlock complain, claim he wasn’t afraid, and in the end, be there for him at one vulnerable moment, after all, he had already seen him at his most vulnerable and all he was able to do was be there for him

Sherlock apologised and asked for John’s forgiveness, he was on his knees, tears in his eyes, knowing he had acted like an utter prick, and John, breaking all codes of decency and disregarding all the rules, hugged and kiss his husband to oblivion, knowing that that was exactly what Sherlock needed

After they solved the case and Sherlock was back on human mode, Daiho apologised to his friend for the prank and invited them to share a meal with the monks.

“I’m so glad you came, Dae Shim” Daiho was hugging Sherlock

“I’m so glad your… humour... has improved” Sherlock shook his head and rolled his eyes

“And this is your Eisho” Daiho bowed to John and John did the same

“Yeah” Sherlock smiled fondly at John “He’s my light” He sighed and Daiho smiled

“It may be time to change your names then” Daiho looked pensive for a moment “You’ve changed, my friend” Daiho kept on looking at Sherlock, analysing him “You’re Anshin1 now” He patted Sherlock’s shoulder, smiling all the time “I’m so glad, you have found your heart, Anshin, your honkyo2” He turned to look at John, and you, you’re not just Eisho, you’ll always be Anshin’s Eisho, but you’re now not only his honkyo, you’re his giyu3” Daiho was looking at John intently “You’re Dojin4” He nodded and patted John’s cheeks “You have my joy and my condolence at the same time” He chuckled “But now he’s more Anshin…” He let out a heartfelt laugh “I’m so glad…” He started walking away leaving John and Sherlock befuddled “Come” Daiho motioned them to follow “I have to meet your Hokei 5”

They went back to their room where Bell was playing with little Hamish, distracting him and being her lovely self “You” Daiho picked the little girl up “You’re Sangmu6” He made Bell giggle and handed her to John “Ad you” He picked Hamish “You’re the result of Anshin finally finding Dojin, You’re Hakue7” He tickled the baby’s tummy and made him giggle with his faces before handing him to Sherlock “After a few moments of contemplative silence, Daiho smiled at them “Come, my friends, we have dinner” He started walking out of the room

“That was…” John looked at Sherlock

“Yes…” Sherlock smiled at him

“Wow”

“I know” Sherlock broke the rules once more and kissed John softly on the lips before leaving the room and following Daiho

The next day, much to Daiho's momentary disappointment, the Holmes-Watson family said goodbye to their monastery friends and headed to Kathmandu. Sherlock wanted to show John other places, sleep in the same bed, hold his hand, even if it was just for a brief moment, steal a furtive kiss, hold him, make love to him, and John couldn’t agree more. He enjoyed the spiritual trip, but at the same time, even though he experienced feeling Sherlock in a different way, holding his hand, being lulled to sleep by his heart, and feeling his warm hand on his own, was something John’s wasn’t willing to give up.

Their hotel, the Annapurna, was just perfect for the last five days of their stay, they were able to see the Himalaya from their window, and share a time near the fire and later on in the sauna. Sherlock had planned almost everything to perfection, except the fact that John was feeling ill and wanted nothing but to stay close to his husband for days to no end

Sherlock wanted nothing but to comply and he had Amanda take the children to as many distractions as possible, but Bell was impossible and Hamish didn’t seem to be able to stop crying whenever Amanda took him away from his parent’s suite. John had to make do somehow, just for the sake of the children. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and joined his husband in visiting the city

Their first stop was the Garden of Dreams; Bell was immediately enchanted and had her parents walk with her for long minutes before running away from them to find something new and exciting to do near the statues. Needing rest and heat, John asked Sherlock to take them back to the hotel where Sherlock had booked a spa afternoon for his husband, the children enjoyed the pool, played for while in the hotel yard and before Sherlock knew it, they were both exhausted, so he was able to share some time with John

In the mornings they’ll visit a site and in the afternoons they’ll rest. After they went to Hanuman Dhoka, Sherlock invited his Eisho for a walk at the Siddhartha Art Gallery and decided to begin his story

“I don’t need to know” John looked at him and smiled “You already told me you stayed here to heal, and that you had time to think. As I see it, you not only had time to think, you also changed while you were here” John snuggled close to Sherlock and stole a kiss before letting him go

“But…” Sherlock tried but John just shook his head “Seeing the people he had stayed with, the soft smiles, the knowing looks, the silence, the spaces, everything, had helped John weave that part of the story on his own, and he was utterly happy that Sherlock had found a place such as the Monastery to heal, and to gather some more strength before facing the worst part of his… hiatus…

“We have a lot of places to visit” John tugged Sherlock’s sleeve and dragged him out of the Gallery, before leading him to the National Museum

“I’m glad you’re feeling better” Sherlock smiled and let John guide him through the museum

“Much” John inhaled deeply but let out a sharp breath and Sherlock knew he was pretending

“Enough site seeing” Sherlock took John back to their hotel and had him rest. He needed to take care of his man, and the only way he knew how was by being there and listening to him

“Right before you came, just a week before you returned, I took Mary to your grave” John started talking “We were holding hands right in front of your stone and it felt really wrong” He grimaced “But it was what I needed, at the moment…” He carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and looked at him deeply in the eyes “I thought that if I told you that I was ready to move on, and introduced her to you… well…” John closed his eyes “Maybe I could find some… redemption…”

“Redemption?” Sherlock quirked a brow

“For not keeping my promise” John bit his lower lips and tried to contain the tears

“A promise?” Sherlock furrowed his brow

“The promise to never let you go” John scratched Sherlock’s scalp softly

“When…” Sherlock was confused

“The day you were arrested…” John closed his eyes again and tried to take a deep breath “I made a promise to never let you go” John opened his eyes only to find Sherlock’s eyes fixed on him with a soft and trusting look “I wanted to tell… I was ready to tell you that night… apologise for calling you…” John finally managed to take a deep breath

“I’m sorry” Sherlock whispered “I’m so sorry, my love” Sherlock reached for John’s hand in his hair and kissed it fervently

“You didn’t know” John pulled Sherlock close and kissed him firmly on the lips, conveying all his love

“I’m sorry” Sherlock whispered again and kissed John with the same intensity

“No more apologies” John pushed him softly to the bed and started kissing him all over. Sherlock surrendered to the kisses and let John do as he wished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1Peaceful Mind   
> 2 Original Home  
> 3 Loyal Friend  
> 4 Path of Love  
> 5 Lineage  
> 6 The kind-hearted one  
> 7 Pure Blessing


	132. India. September 15th to September 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a two hour drive they arrived to their destination. John couldn’t believe his luck, they had arrived to Agra, and the beautiful sight of the Taj Mahal welcomed him. He moved closer to Sherlock and kissed him conveying all his excitement and love with that one kiss

New Delhi. New Delhi. New Delhi… Both of them had been at New Delhi at some point in their lives. John while he was training to become a soldier, Sherlock when he was trying to destroy Moriarty’s network

“So…” Sherlock looked at John front the other side of the table at their hotel room

“So…?” John quirked a brow at his husband

“India…” Sherlock cocked his head to the side and John did the same

“Military training…” John smiled “A few girlfriends…” He stuck his tongue out teasingly “Not really saving the world, just… training to be a better soldier and doctor” He cocked his head to the other side and winked

“Following a man that was selling girls to the highest bidder” Sherlock reached for John’s hand, his head to the side, one eye closed “Used to sleep at the Bengali market” He cocked his head to the other side and opened his eye, always looking at John “Beaten to an inch of my life after I helped the police find a man that was murdered by ice cream, and was left for death at the river” He straightened his head “Not exactly saving the world, but becoming a better detective and maybe, just maybe… a good man” He tried to smile but John’s eyes prevented him “Three questions?” John nodded “Jacques, two weeks and… well… beaten…” John let out a long breath and reached for Sherlock’s other hand over the table, straightening his head and lifting his hands to kiss them

“First stop?”

“Bengali market”

“One hour?”

“Even less” Sherlock smiled softly

“Let’s go then” John pulled Sherlock from his chair, kissed him deeply and moved swiftly to the door of their hotel

After an hour and a half flight, the Holmes-Watson family arrived to New Delhi from Kathmandu in the early morning. Sherlock had booked a hotel suite at Svelte, and made sure they had enough food to last the three days they’ll be staying. It was hot, humid, but John managed to control his body temperature better than he did in Thailand. This climate he knew and he was ready to endure it for the next five days. 

They spent less than an hour at the market and Sherlock pointed at John where he stayed, then they went to the river and Sherlock showed him where Jacques found him after the beating. John hid his head in Sherlock’s shoulder and Sherlock moved quickly away from the river to the car, their security detail at their heels the entire time

“I don’t want to go back to the hotel” John said looking out the window “I want to visit a few places I went while I was here” He reached for Sherlock’s hand and Sherlock nodded. They went to Humayun’s Tomb first, John leading the way and walking side by side with Sherlock along the corridors of the tomb “I wanted to come here since I first arrived to Delhi” John sighed “I never had the time…” He looked down “Thank you, love” He looked up at Sherlock and walked away, Sherlock just followed. John was shutting down Sherlock

Their next stop was the Red Fort, and John was silent the entire tour, he acknowledged Sherlock with little sad smiles but did attempt to talk to him or touch him at all. Sherlock tried not to be hurt by John’s actions, but then noticed the way their security detail closed on them every time Sherlock tried to reach for John’s hand and it hit him; they had entered dangerous territory for them… they were illegal…

They ended the day after visiting Qutb Minar Complex, Jantar Mantar and Feroz Shah Kotla. The minute they entered their suite, John was all over Sherlock once again, apologising for his behaviour, and Sherlock understood completely “I understand, my sweet love” Sherlock kissed John deeply “I forgot… sorry…” He kissed his apologies to John’s neck “I should have known… but when I’m with you… The world fades…” He kissed John’s ear again

“I know” John moaned “I know” He started undressing his husband with quick motions, getting rid of all the clothing in the way to their room

The next morning, less… concerned… about their illegality, John took Sherlock to another place he wanted to visit, the Spice Market where they bought cinnamon and clove, just because John loved the smell. Their next stop was the National Zoological Gardens and the Nehru Planetarium with the children. That night, much like the night before, they made love until dawn, making up for the many hours they couldn’t touch each other.

“Today is our last day in New Delhi” Sherlock scratched John’s head softly and made John squirm in his arms

“I know” John kissed Sherlock’s chest “Why are we leaving so soon?” He asked stifling a yawn

“Surprise, my sweet love” Sherlock kissed John’s hand and moved him from his chest and next to him in bed to kiss him properly

“And today, what is left for us to visit?”

“Plenty” Sherlock smiled and kissed John again “I was thinking…” He moved lower to kiss John’s chest

“Yeah?” John tried to contain a moan, his skin bristling under Sherlock’s touch

“We could go to the Gandhi museums today” He kissed John’s navel

“Gandhi museums? Isn’t just one museum?” John tried not to squirm

“Dwo” Sherlock mumbled around John’s morning erection “I mean…” Sherlock lifted his head and let go of John’s dick with a loud pop “Two… Indira’s and Mohandas’s” he smiled and went back to sucking John. John hummed his agreement and surrendered to Sherlock’s ministrations

An hour later they were on their way to Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and form there they went to the National Gandhi Museum, ending their day at Nehru Memorial Museum and the National Museum of Natural History

“Well, that was fun” John reached for Sherlock’s hand in the car “Are we going back to the hotel or are we having dinner out” He asked as he scooted closer in the window tinted car

“You’ll see” Sherlock smirked and had his devil genius smile on him “He pulled John close to him and checked on Hamish and Bell. The children fast asleep in the seat in front of them “They had a long day at the park” He smiled fondly at them

“Yes they did” John looked back at his children too “Hamish is growing so fast” He sighed “I can’t believe he’ll be nine months soon” John reached for Hamish’s foot and the baby squirmed but kept on sleeping soundly

“I know” Sherlock smiled at his son “He’s walking already and he can communicate quite clearly now” He had his -proud papa- look on “He’s already speaking a few French words and Bell has been great help with that” He reached for Bell’s foot and the little girl relaxed further under his touch

“I can’t believe she’ll be four soon” He reached for her curly hair and the girl sighed contently. John looked out the window and saw the city lights at a fair distance “Where are we going” He asked again and Sherlock smirked

“You’ll see” he smiled deviously again and reached for John, kissing him deeply and resting one hand on his thigh, the other in the back of his neck “I love you” He whispered against John’s lips and kissed him until they were both breathless 

After a two hour drive they arrived to their destination. John couldn’t believe his luck, they had arrived to Agra, and the beautiful sight of the Taj Mahal welcomed him. He moved closer to Sherlock and kissed him conveying all his excitement and love with that one kiss

The manager at their hotel, the Oberoi Amarvilas, received them warmly and didn’t look away when he saw their joined hands. John sighed with relief when the entire staff greeted them and not one looked away or made a face when Sherlock held him in his arms and led him to their room. To John’s surprise the room was decorated for a couple in their honeymoon, champagne, strawberries ‘Where the heel did Sherlock found strawberries?’ and the tub was ready for a bath

“You…” John smiled at Sherlock and pulled him in the room, divesting him on their way to the bathroom. The view from there was as spectacular as it was from their bedroom, the majesty of the Taj Mahal overshadowed by Sherlock’s eyes. The next morning greeted them with the same sight and John just couldn’t help but be all giddy about thanking Sherlock for bringing him here.

After a very… fulfilling… morning, they finally went to the Taj Mahal, walking down the gardens and following the path to the museum and the Taj Mahal itself. The mausoleum was as beautiful as John imagined, and Sherlock was stunned silent by the amazing beauty in front of his eyes, even Bell was stunned by the beauty and the sights. John took as many pictures as he was able, finding it hard to find just one sight to focus on. By the end of the day, with the afternoon light, he saw the most beautiful image ever and asked Amanda to take a picture for him. The four of them were seating at the riverfront terrace, the Taj Mahal reflected on the water, each holding a baby and looking at each other, the photograph was just perfect

Their last day in India they went to the Agra Fort and the Kinari Bazaar before returning to Delhi and taking the plane to Jordan


	133. Egypt and Jordan. September 21st to September 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra was magnificent, John was like a child, walking around, taking pictures and doing his biggest effort not to take Sherlock’s hand and kiss him to oblivion as a thank you for bringing him to an exciting and beautiful place, again! Sherlock, on the other hand, was clutching his water bottle with all his might, holding in the need to feel John’s hand. They walked around Petra for the entire day, making plans to visit a few other places across Jordan, including Amman and the Dead Sea. As soon as they returned to Amman, Sherlock took John to the Citadel and had a night view of the Roman Theatre

They arrived right in time just after Bell’s bed time and boarded the plane. They had eight hours ahead of them before arriving to Jordan. John was happy, that’s all he could say about their trip. He knew difficult times were coming for them as a couple, but he was resolved to make the most out of the soon to be difficult situation. Mycroft hand increased their security and had rented a flat both in Amman and in Cairo for the five of them; Amanda was a great cover and she’ll be posing as John’s wife and Bell and Mish’s mum

Sherlock’s mighty pout appeared as soon as Mycroft told him what he had done, but he had to admit it was for the best, there was no way they could be together and not be ostracized for their life choices, particularly in Cairo. Although the only reason to stop in Jordan was because Sherlock wanted to visit the City of Petra, and John couldn’t agree more with him, it was also because they wanted to share the last few days with their children before sending them back to England with Amanda and their grandparents, the last part of their trip could be very dangerous, not only for them, but for the children.

In the early morning, as soon as the plane landed, John grabbed Hamish and Amanda grabbed Bell and climbed down the plane, followed by a very annoyed and unpleasant Sherlock that pouted the entire way to the security car. Mycroft took the precaution of finding a car that fulfilled all his expectations, from tinted bullet proof windows, to a bullet proof body. Sherlock was happy to be able to share, at least the ride to their flat, with his husband, holding his hand and kissing him, holding his children to his chest and mumbling words of love to them

“I thought it’ll be easy” Sherlock leaned his head on John’s shoulder and John hummed in agreement, his hand resting on his thigh and the other rubbing Bell’s back

“Don’t worry love, we’ll find a way to be together” John assured his husband, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy

The minute they arrived to the flat, Sherlock made sure that all the entrances were guarded, their security detail was at the ready, just in case, and Mycroft made sure they had all they needed, he even rented the entire building to accommodate the staff. Two minutes later, Mycroft was calling Sherlock to tell him he had a helicopter at his disposal to go to Petra and back, Sherlock thanked his brother and assured him that they’ll be careful  

Petra was magnificent, John was like a child, walking around, taking pictures and doing his biggest effort not to take Sherlock’s hand and kiss him to oblivion as a thank you for bringing him to an exciting and beautiful place, again! Sherlock, on the other hand, was clutching his water bottle with all his might, holding in the need to feel John’s hand. They walked around Petra for the entire day, making plans to visit a few other places across Jordan, including Amman and the Dead Sea. As soon as they returned to Amman, Sherlock took John to the Citadel and had a night view of the Roman Theatre

They spent the night at their flat being very quiet, knowing that even though homosexuality wasn’t strictly forbidden, they’ll have to be careful none the less. In the early morning, the helicopter was ready to take them to the Dead Sea, Bell didn’t enjoy the salty water as much as she did the ocean, but she was willing to enjoy the experience as long as Daddy Sherlock was there with her. By noon, with enough sea in their bodies, they returned to Amman and went to the Jordan Museum. Their last stop in Jordan was Madaba where they visited the Saint George´s Church and Mosaic and the Madaba Archaeological Parks.

Exhausted but with a lot to visit ahead, they took the plane to Cairo and were there in less than two hours, right in time for Bell’s bed time. The flat Mycroft had prepared was in a building close to Giza. Just like he had done in Amman, Mycroft managed to rent the entire building for his brother and his staff

“I can’t believe this” Sherlock huffed when he saw the four men standing around them as they walked to the flat

“Mycroft is concerned” John muttered and grabbed his bag with a little more force than actually needed

“Not Mycroft’s” Sherlock whispered close to John’s ear, pretending to show him something on his phone

“What?” John was confused, he had no idea what had happened and when things changed so much

“In” Sherlock pushed the door to the flat open and pushed Amanda and John inside. A few seconds later two of Mycroft’s men came in the flat and did a sweep, finding, amongst other things, microphones and cameras; Sherlock called Mycroft immediately, and after a rather heated conversation with one of the men outside their door, the men left, but Mycroft advised Sherlock to be even more discrete than he was now

Early in the morning and after sleeping on the floor with his John, to avoid prying eyes, Sherlock took his family to Giza, the first stop in this wonderful trip. Even though he was concerned he was being followed, he tried to give John the time of his life while visiting the pyramids. Half day went by before they arrived to the Sphinx and as soon their visit was over they headed to Memphis and Sakkara, thus finishing a very long and fulfilling day

Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t share a bath in the privacy of their flat until Sherlock called in a favour and the four conspicuous men disappeared, called back by the force that had put them there in the first place

“Who did you call?” John asked, leaning his whole body weight on Sherlock’s chest

“A friend” Sherlock kissed John’s neck and with that the discussion was over

The next morning, to John’s surprise, the men hadn’t returned to their posts, they were finally alone… for the time being. As they walked around the Egyptian Museum, John asked Sherlock the three questions he needed to ask

“Jacques and Marco were here for me” Sherlock answered “I was here for a week, and no, I was not tortured” He handed John some water and grazed his finger very subtly “I had just travelled from Greece and Marco was waiting here for me, I met Jacques the moment I left Athens” Sherlock continued his story in hushed tones as the watched another exhibit. John remained silent but kept listening to him “The man we’ve been following since Greece was captured here by the four men you saw outside our flat, they killed him and dismantled the drug dealing network and managed to stop the human trafficking network” Sherlock put his hand on John’s shoulder and pointed to a sarcophagus

“Friends of yours, then” John mocked and Sherlock, even though he was disgruntled, nodded

“I use disinfectant” He said and patted John’s back to direct his attention to other piece “They won’t be bothering us any longer, besides, tomorrow afternoon we’re going to Luxor, and there’s no way they’ll follow us there. We’ll back before they notice but we’ll be left alone. Sherlock pointed to another piece of art and John noticed the four men following them from a distance, their own security detail increased in the last twenty four hours.    

“Mycroft must be worried” John tugged Sherlock’s arm to call his attention to another sarcophagus

“The children” He said, taking a map and handing it to John, grazing their fingers again.

They left the museum and called Mycroft, the plane was at the ready when they were, but they’ll be heading to Luxor early the next morning, after visiting the Coptic Museum and a quick tour around Khan Al-Khalili. As promised, the men didn’t notice they left Cairo and went to Luxor, the spent a quiet day visiting Karnak, The Temple and the Valley of the Kings. They returned late at night, managing, somehow, to trick the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” as John referred to the security detailed assigned by Sherlock’s mysterious friend

Just in the same way they escaped to Luxor, they managed to visit Alexandria and give the children a beach day; they made time to go to Alexandria National Museum and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina before deciding to stay the night and visiting the History of Science Museum and the Antiquities Museum. Mycroft had them back in Cairo the next afternoon, but not before they took little Bell to the planetarium at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Their last day in Cairo was spent at the Zoo and with a rather enjoyable helicopter tour above the pyramids and the sphinx. That afternoon, after talking to the mysterious man, the four henchmen escorted the family to the airport and saw them leave to their next destination, Tripoli.


	134. Tripoli. October 1st to October 3rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They stayed in their rooms the entire day, Sherlock playing his violin, John reading a book, wanting nothing more than to be with each other and their children. Ten hours later, a teary voiced Bell called them to announce them she was with uncle Myc and uncle Greg and that they’ll be staying with Papa and Mamie until late that night. The little girl said goodnight to her parents, that saw each other for the first time since the children left, and they had to do their best and worst to not hold each other and do what felt natural for them

“Why Tripoli?” John was curious as to why his husband decided to stay three days in this sort of in-between country

“Because” Sherlock shrugged and gave John the last kiss for the next twelve hours; they’d been locked up in the plane for over seven hours and had shared as much time together as they could

“Are you stalling?” John asked and tried to reach for Sherlock’s hand but one of their men stood between them and John put his hand in his pocket “I see” John looked at his husband with blind adoration “You’re practising” He smiled sadly and Sherlock nodded

The only reason for Sherlock to stay in Tripoli was to practice being away from John for the next month. They last part of their trip was the most dangerous, because, even in private, any sexual congress between them was strictly forbidden, and if anyone, just anybody, said anything, they could go to jail and even be killed

“Mycroft will be here tomorrow” Sherlock tried to hide the sadness in his voice but John noticed and he couldn’t do a thing to comfort his husband

“So we have tonight an that’s it” Sherlock shrugged and looked out the window of their car

Since the stop wasn’t exactly planned, they had to stay at the first hotel they found, John was given a room for him, his “wife” and their children, and Sherlock was given another room, fortunately for them, in the same floor and with connecting doors

“Will we be visiting the city?” John asked through the open door

“Yes” Sherlock sighed and grabbed Hamish in his arms calming him down; the little boy uncomfortable with Amanda’s presence in the room

“And where are we going first” John tried to be calm, not to think much about what was happening around them

“The Tripoli Zoo, for them” Sherlock hugged Hamish close and could hide his sadness any longer, he grabbed Bell too and hugged her close in his arms, taking a deep breath, inhaling them as deeply as he could “Close the curtains” Sherlock asked Amanda and had her watching outside the window and their security detail at their doors “He hugged John for a long moment and the said goodbye in their own way to their children

“Poor Mycroft” John chuckled when they parted, cleaning a stray tear from his face “He’ll be locked in a plane with the two of them for so many hours…” He tried to chuckle but it was more a sob, Sherlock tried to smile but all he could think was the fact that for the next month, he’ll be away from his children, and mostly away from his husband

After another family squeeze, John and Amanda left “their” room with “their” children and headed to the Zoo. Half hour later, Sherlock left “his” room and went to the Zoo too, John was waiting for him and they decided to enjoy, as much as possible, the experience, for their children

At the Zoo, Bell found herself enamoured with the giant cats, as she always was, and walked around the Zoo with her hands in her pockets, just like Daddy Sher and Daddy John were doing. John was holding Hamish, a very annoyed Hamish. The little baby tried to reach for Sherlock a couple of times but he was too far away and Hamish wouldn’t stop crying

They spent the day at the Zoo, going from encasement to encasement as slowly as they could, following Bell’s whim and energy. They had lunch at one of the many stall in the Zoo and continued their visit, looking sadly at each other, having a silent conversation, and knowing that the days ahead wouldn’t be easy

No matter how protected they were, Mycroft asked them to be careful, his hand could reach many places, but at the moment, and with the current world situation, it was best for him not to intervene, unless absolutely necessary. They both agreed, they had too, and before John could say he wanted to go back to London and finish the trip there, Sherlock had made the decision to continue the journey and learn to be without for what remained of this trip

John had to agree, he needed to agree, mostly if he wanted to go back to London and be away from Sherlock for at least a few hours. Sure, the experiment in Brazil had worked and they were able to be apart for long hours, but at nights they had each other, now, they didn’t have that, this was a test, of endurance and of love

In the late afternoon, with exhausted children, they went back to the hotel only to find Mycroft in Sherlock’s room; since he was his brother, there was no problem with them staying together, and that worked fabulously for them, they could spend their last night with their children together; in the early morning, and after a very public “fight” Amanda took the children with her and left John…

They stayed in their rooms the entire day, Sherlock playing his violin, John reading a book, wanting nothing more than to be with each other and their children. Ten hours later, a teary voiced Bell called them to announce them she was with uncle Myc and uncle Greg and that they’ll be staying with Papa and Mamie until late that night. The little girl said goodnight to her parents, that saw each other for the first time since the children left, and they had to do their best and worst to not hold each other and do what felt natural for them

In order to leave the room that was driving him up the walls, Sherlock decided to visit the city, he called John and they left to visit the Jamahiriya Museum and the University of Tripoli. They walked around the town, finding food, talking animatedly to each other and concealing their feelings.

“Thank god we practiced for five years” John chuckled over his glass of wine

“That we did” Sherlock smirked

“Five years” John sighed and looked at Sherlock’s empty glass “Should we order another?” Sherlock nodded and tried another smile “Remember our dinner at Angelo’s?”

“Which one?” Sherlock cocked his head

“The first, of course” John cocked his head too

“To the last bit” Sherlock smiled fondly at John and reached for his recently filled glass instead of reaching for John’s hand

“I wanted to kiss you so bad” John chuckled

“And I panicked” Sherlock frowned

“I wonder…” John rested his head in his hand “Would you have kissed me back if Mrs. Hudson hadn’t interrupted us?”

“I would have dragged you upstairs and had my way with you” Sherlock smirked

“Really?” John chuckled

“Yes…” Sherlock sighed and took another swig of his wine

“We should go” John called the waiter and asked for the bill

“Right…” Sherlock stood “Commercial flight to Tunisia” Sherlock made a frustrated sound

“It’s for the best, we can arrive together, as friends, and ask for a twin room” he downed the rest of his glass and walked side by side with Sherlock back to their hotel

“I’ll see you in a bit” Sherlock said, entering his room and closing the door, John sighed with disappointment and entered his own room, they both had to take a very, very cold and long shower before going to the airport and finding the first flight available to Tunisia


	135. Tunisia. October 3rd to October 6th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having half a day in Tunis, they decided to visit Dougga, and archaeological site close to Tunis. Sherlock made friends with a few archaeologists and they allowed him to visit the entire site, John just shook his head, rolled his eyes, and chuckled at him when he came a reached for his arm, leading him to one of the investigation trenches, they had fun the entire day, forgetting, once again, that they had to go to their next destination, Morocco.

“Are we going to Tunisia to practice some more?” John settled in the plane and reached for his book

“That, and to see if we can pass as scientists researching about antiquities; and if they wouldn’t find us sharing a room strange” Sherlock reached for his own book and settled happily next to John

After an hour they arrived to Tunis and the hotel manager lead them to their room, to John’s surprise it was a suite with two bedrooms. Mycroft had asked his security detail to leave the couple alone and had created the necessary documentation to have them pose as antiquities specialists with free passes to visit every single museum from now on

Eliminating the possible threats helped them act more normally around each other once the doors to their suite were closed. The first thing John did was undress Sherlock quickly and get him in bed, making sure not to soil the sheets with their emissions, and using both beds in both rooms, disarraying everything to show. Sherlock was glad, but he kept as quiet as he could, muffling his sounds with pillows and sheets, and making sure that no one would hear them; he knew they could face three years in prison for sodomy…

“Oh well” Sherlock reached for John and held him in his arms, enjoying the fact that they were on the top floor, in a suite with two rooms, and truly alone for the first time in their entire trip

“I know…” John rested his head on Sherlock’s chest “Failed experiment” He reached up and carded his fingers on Sherlock’s hair

“I’ve missed you” Sherlock held John closer and snuggled him

“And I you” John kissed Sherlock’s chest “Maybe we could find places such as this one and maybe…”   

“It’s too risky” Sherlock pushed John softly and looked him in the eyes “We could end up in prison for three years if they find us like this”

“I know” John pushed himself away from Sherlock and off the bed “It’s just…” He reached for his bathrobe and walked to the bathroom. Sherlock went after him, fishing his own robe from the floor

“I’m sorry, my love” Sherlock stood at the door and watched as John let go of the robe and entered the shower

“We should go eat something” John turned away bit Sherlock felt the pang of pain in his chest

“We can be very careful” Sherlock reached for John and stepped in the shower behind him wrapping his arms around his husband “We can try” He kissed John’s ear. John turned in his arms, nodded and kissed him deeply. They showered fast and by the time they were out of the bathroom a knock on the door startled them, Since Sherlock was undressed and John was wrapped in his robe he was the one at the door

“Complimentary dinner” the waiter said and entered the suite, he gave a fast look at John and saw both beds, the sound of the shower and Sherlock singing startled him and he left before John could say anything. Sherlock waited a prudential time before turning the shower off and getting out of the bathroom wrapped on his own robe

“Somebody is watching us” Sherlock reached for the dish cover and found a single note

_Be careful. M_

“Your brother” John sighed and Sherlock nodded, anger bubbling in his stomach

“I’m no longer a child” He wrinkled the note and threw it away “He said he’ll get rid of all the security” He looked for his phone but John reached for his hand first

“He’s right…. You both are” John kissed Sherlock’s hand “We have to be very careful” Sherlock nodded and pulled John for a hug

“Let’s go” He said “Dinner is waiting” He tried to smile but all he could think was that they will never be truly alone

The went to a restaurant near the hotel and shared dinner, talking like the old friends they are, Sherlock deducing people for John, John laughing heartily and sharing a beer. On the way back to the hotel they found a Souq and decided to visit it, laughing, talking, pointing at things and simply deciding to enjoy their friendship. That night they each slept on their own bed, but talked form one room to the other until sleep took them

In the early morning they left the hotel and headed to Carthage, Sherlock feeling giddy to share the experience with John, even though they couldn’t hold hands, and they missed the children, they enjoyed their time together, talking about everything they could talk, from John’s days at medical school, and Sherlock’s experiments in University, they never shared such a time before and it was proving to be the best so far, no worries, no stories, no guilt, just to friends truly getting to know each other, and since sex was off the table, all they could do was truly talk

They cut the day short at Carthage to go to the Bardo Museum and Medina, before detouring and going to another Souq where they bought a few knickknacks to remember the trip, John took his time taking photographs of the place, of Sherlock, and tried to remember the last time he felt so free, and his mind wandered back to the day he moved to Baker Street, chasing a cabbie and forgetting all about his cane

“I remember it too” Sherlock leaned close and pretended to check one of the pictures “That was the day my life truly started” He smiled fondly at John and patted his shoulder, showing his love that way, John jabbed him in the ribs and made Sherlock chuckle

“Mind reading git” He muttered and laughed heartily, handing Sherlock the camera and walking away to one of the stalls to buy little shoes for Bell. Sherlock took his fill of pictures of John and called him back, the walked together to the hotel and again, didn’t share a bed, knowing that no matter how hard it was, it was for the best

Having half a day in Tunis, they decided to visit Dougga, and archaeological site close to Tunis. Sherlock made friends with a few archaeologists and they allowed him to visit the entire site, John just shook his head, rolled his eyes, and chuckled at him when he came a reached for his arm, leading him to one of the investigation trenches, they had fun the entire day, forgetting, once again, that they had to go to their next destination, Morocco.

“Yes” John reached for his phone and didn’t recognise the number

“My most sincere apologies, John” Mycroft’s voice came from the other side

“Is this a social call?” John walked away from Sherlock, who was fortunately distracted by some structures

“Unfortunately…” Mycroft let out a long suffering sigh

“Security detail back…” John rubbed his face

“Yes…”

“Needs must” John looked at Sherlock and enjoyed their last seconds of happiness “Rabat is a hot zone” John whispered

“The plane is at your disposal and you’ll have a helicopter pick you up at your earliest convenience” John rolled his eyes and tried to stop the derisive snort that threatened to scape his lips “Sorry, John… I truly am sorry” Mycroft said before ending the call

Sherlock was looking at John intently, a deep frown on his face and his lips pursed “Mycroft called” He said and looked at John, analysing him “He gave you bad news” He frowned deeper “Rabat is next” He let out a frustrated breath “And he sent the plane back…” He rubbed his face

John just nodded and pointed to the black helicopter flying on top of them; Sherlock recognised the pilot and let his head fall to his chest in defeat, but at the same time it meant they’ll have time alone in their plane, no prying eyes… and a bed…

“Morocco it is” He smiled suddenly and John recognised that smile

“Morocco it is” John bit his lower lip   


	136. Morocco. October 6th to October 13th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Instead of staying in Rabat for the day, John did the convincing this time and they ended up in Fez, visiting the Royal Palace, eating with their hands near Rue des Mèrinides and went to the Medina, walking next to each other and sharing the silence. The point to the trips was to be exhausted by the moment they arrived back to Rabat, not thinking much about anything but going straight to bed to sleep.

After four hours of flight, and a very fulfilling… nap… they arrived to Rabat before the afternoon was over. They found themselves at one of the best hotels, La Tour Hassan, and they had a two rooms’ suite again

“Where should we go first?” John reached for Sherlock’s hand and Sherlock handed him the map, scooting closer and resting his head on John’s shoulder

“I was thinking we could stay here in Rabat for two days, then two days at Marrakesh and two days in Tangier”

“I like that plan” John kissed Sherlock’s cheek and caressed his hand “Should we go for dinner?”

“Yes” Sherlock nodded and looked for a nice restaurant “I’ve a plan to be alone tonight”

“Punch?” John smirked

“You know me so well” Sherlock laughed heartily

They invited their security detail for dinner and went to a restaurant close to their hotel. Sherlock mixed a few drugs and served it in the wine, their men took the wine happily, and by the time they reached the hotel, their security detail was ready to go to bed without much fuss. Sherlock knew he’ll have to do a sweep on his own, knowing exactly where a few cameras might be hidden. He found four and John found three more, they tossed them and knew no one was coming because they had finally drugged their security detail

The night was romantic, silent, they already knew how to hide, how to prevent people from finding out about them, they shared beds, and made up for lost time, holding hands, kissing, finding their rightful places, they knew the insanity of their actions, but at the same time, they knew they couldn’t deny themselves the love

“We’re mad” John said after catching his breath

“For each other, mostly” Sherlock snuggled close and basked in John’s scent

“It’s going to be hard” John rubbed Sherlock’s back up and down

“It already was” Sherlock snickered and ducked under the sheets “It might be hard soon enough” He laughed and tried to move away from John’s tickling fingers

“I’m being serious” John chastised him and pinned him to the bed, settling between his legs

“I know” Sherlock closed his eyes and simply enjoyed a few more seconds of his husband in his arms

“I guess I should be off to bed” John stole one last kiss and let go of Sherlock’s wrists, getting off the bed and going to his own

They talked until sleep took John, Sherlock left the room and wandered around the city until dawn, knowing perfectly he’ll have to return to their room at some point; when he did he found John sitting in his bed, waiting for him

“Sorry” Sherlock walked to the bed and sat on the floor, between John’s legs. John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and rubbed his scalp slowly and softly “I just…” Sherlock looked up and found John’s understanding eyes “I love you” He rested his head and John’s thigh and John leaned close and kissed his ear

“It’s okay love. I love you” He smiled down “I can’t sleep without you either” He caressed Sherlock’s cheek “But we’ll make do” He helped him up and to the bed “Maybe a twin room next time?” He kissed Sherlock’s forehead and sat on the chair next to the bed “I’ll stay here until you fall sleep, would you like that?” Sherlock nodded and closed his eyes; he was fast asleep in less than five minutes  

Their first stop early next morning was the Andalusian Gardens and the Archaeology Museum, Sherlock convinced John to go to Casablanca for the afternoon, and they drove along the coast until they arrived to the Village of the Arts, their first stop, then Sherlock drove John to the Old Medina and the Clock Tower where they spent the afternoon before driving back to Rabat to spend the night

Instead of staying in Rabat for the day, John did the convincing this time and they ended up in Fez, visiting the Royal Palace, eating with their hands near Rue des Mèrinides and went to the Medina, walking next to each other and sharing the silence. The point to the trips was to be exhausted by the moment they arrived back to Rabat, not thinking much about anything but going straight to bed to sleep.

From Rabat they drove to Tangier and found a hotel near the beach. The first thing John did as soon as they left the hotel was find a perfect spot to watch the ocean, sit under the sun and take a deep ocean bath. Sherlock followed him, of course he did, and they spent part of the morning swimming, reading, eating whatever they found and talking to their children. Hamish cried the entire time and Bell kept asking when they’ll be back

In the afternoon they visited the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures and Medina, and by night the Grand Socco (Souq) where they shared a few moments of peace, talking some more about their youth, their likes, such as chocolate covered cookies for John and mint filled chocolate for Sherlock, their dislikes, the smell of failed experiments for John and the smell of hospital disinfectant for Sherlock, they knew they were building the need, and they also knew they’ll have to wait to be in the air to be slaves of their desires

Instead of going to another museum, or walk along the medina, John chose to go to the beach and Sherlock followed happily. By check-out time, they had packed their few belongings in the car and drove directly to Marrakesh. With a brief stop for a snack in Rabat

As soon as they arrived, Sherlock took John to the Museum of Photography and Visual Arts, he knew the curator and the man left them alone in the museum, there Sherlock was able to take John’s hand, sit next to him in one of the chairs and he started talking

“Before you ask your three questions I already have the answers” Sherlock took a deep breath “Jacques was here with me, for a week, and I wasn’t tortured” Sherlock breathed slowly and felt John’s hand relax in his “But it was definitely a very difficult week” He continued, stroking John’s palm with his thumb “I arrived by land from Egypt, my arm already healed, cast off after the incident in China, and of course still healing after what happened in Greece. I still had Costas in my mind, but I knew I had to do whatever was needed to stop the men that threatened all our lives”

“Incognito?”

“I found some more about AGRA here, she was stationed here for a while, but I had no idea she was with you by the time I met her, or at least glanced at her, that first time”

“She did say…” John shook his head

“I stayed here in Marrakesh, at the Souq, and saw how they sold little girls to old men, how they traded drugs in exchange of women, and other horrors. There was nothing I could do… Idiosyncrasy, they call it…” Sherlock looked at their joined hands “The same idiosyncrasy that has us sleeping in separate beds…” He shook his head “Anyway…”

“You had to hide and you only glimpsed at her” John finished the sentence and Sherlock nodded

“If I had known…”

“I know, my sweet love” John caressed Sherlock’s cheek. The curator found them in that sweet moment and announced a guard was coming and that they should leave. Sherlock nodded and led John to their hotel where either could find sleep

Not rested at all, they found their way out the hotel and into the city visiting the Maison de la Photographie, the Bahia Palace and the Jardin Majorelle before going to the Marrakesh Museum

“Tomorrow Turkey” John was leaning on his hand, watching at Sherlock closely over his glass of wine

“Istanbul” Sherlock nodded

“And we have to be very careful?” John asked, a hint of hope in his voice

“Just careful” Sherlock smiled and John reached for his glass of wine again

“Fly all night?” Sherlock nodded and smirked “What time do we leave?” John stood and downed the rest of his glass

“Now” His smile was wider than ever and John couldn’t help but let out a long and relieved laugh


	137. Turkey. October 13th to October 17th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was utterly happy when he saw their yacht at port, and even happier when he heard little Bell calling their names from the sun deck “Surprise” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and John beamed at him, everything else forgotten.

“Turkey wasn’t easy” Sherlock was holding John to his chest, the bed in the plane the best asset ever “I was with Jacques, for a week and I wasn’t tortured” John relaxed again in his arms “I had just left Bulgaria” John’s breath hitched and Sherlock ran his hand up and down his back “I was tired… I needed time to recover… but I had a task ahead and the lead was taking me to Istanbul”

“Drug dealers and smugglers?”

“Weapons dealers”

“Why weapons?” John was curious as to why Turkey would deal with weapons

“They were the operation centre for a major weapons’ dealer” Sherlock reached for John’s hand a held it to his lips, kissing every knuckle “I had no idea I’ll find that here and much less that the man was one of Moriarty’s favourites” Sherlock explained “He had a connection with Agra… and every single weapon needed in Africa and the Middle East would pass through Istanbul”

“They had an established network to deal with weapons?” John couldn’t believe it

“Guns, pistols, grenades… You name it…” Sherlock moved down and faced John “Many of the guns went to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in Europe, Asia and the Middle East and Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Zambia, Angola, Kenia, Libya and Egypt in Africa”

“Not just established, a world network” John whispered and wondered at the same time how many soldiers died fighting against their own guns

“Most weapons came both from Russia and the United States, as part of a supposed black market… but in truth…”

“They were willingly selling the weapons… I knew that” John squeezed Sherlock before asking another question “And where did you stay?” John tried to stifle a yawn and Sherlock saw it

“I’ll show you as soon as we arrive” Sherlock pulled John closer and kissed him “Now…” He smirked and pushed John to the mattress “Where were we?”

They slept blissfully for over five hours in each other’s arms. When the plane landed they were nowhere near ready to climb out the plane, but the crew gave them a few minutes before asking for a hangar. Sherlock was very thankful and threated them to dinner that night, the security detail refused but he promised not to drug them… ever again…

John was utterly happy when he saw their yacht at port, and even happier when he heard little Bell calling their names from the sun deck “Surprise” Sherlock whispered in John’s ear and John beamed at him, everything else forgotten. He ran upstairs and found their children and their in laws waiting for them. He grabbed Hamish and Bell in one hug and kissed them repeatedly “Is there room for me?” Sherlock asked and John managed to grab both children in one arm and Sherlock in the other and kissed him deeply

That night, instead of going to dinner, they put the children to bed after their bath and John read to them while Sherlock played the violin. The children stayed in their bed, a treat for all the nights they had to spent apart

“Thank you” John reached for Sherlock’s curls and was gifted with a lazy, sleepy smile that made him chuckle

In the morning, after a nice breakfast with the family, Sherlock took them to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, they didn’t hold hands, little Hamish was walking between them, they spent part of the morning at the Museum before going to the Grand Bazaar and Sherlock pointed at John one of the places he had stayed; they each were carrying a baby and were followed by a little army of security detail, their parents and a new addition to the family, little Hamish’s nanny, Carole

“Where to next?” John was eager to visit more of the city. He had fallen in love with the exotic Bazaars or Souqs and was rapidly missing the days he had spent in Afghanistan with the army. He had told Sherlock all about them and he knew that Sherlock would do anything for him to visit his old mates again.

“Hagia Sophia in the afternoon, tomorrow morning Topkapi and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in the afternoon, and from there we’ll see” Sherlock smiled fondly at John

“No Bazaars?”

“Of course” Sherlock shook his head and chuckled “Whatever you want”

Their stop in Hagia Sophia was amazing, the place is simply beautiful and both were lost in the sight. They had seen many beautiful places along the way, but Hagia Sophia was in the top ten. Sherlock made a little time and took a detour to take John to the spice Bazaar; the smell of spices indescribable filling the air and making it a little universe of smells. The visit to the Bazaar complimenting perfectly the visit to the church turning the already inspiring visit into something almost as transcendent as their visit to Kopan

“That was…” John hadn’t the words to describe the afternoon. They were taking a bath and enjoying the view from their bathroom

“I know” Sherlock rested his head on John’s “I’m glad you were there with me” He moved his lips to John’s neck and smirked when he felt John shiver

“Sherlock, please” John whispered and Sherlock nodded, helping him out of the tub and leading him to bed

In the morning they were ready to head out in town again. Their first stop was Topkapi Palace, the children and their nannies spent the day at the playground while the adults walked around the museum and the different structures; it took them almost the entire day to visit the place, but they made it just in time for a quick tour at the Museum of Innocence. After the visit their plans changed completely, they wanted to visit the museum properly and were the firsts ready the next morning for the visit

As soon as they finished with the Museum of Innocence, the went to the Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam and the Museum of Great Palace Mosaics, leaving for the next day a visit that had Sherlock as excited as a child in Christmas morning, their visit to the Sultanahmet Archaeological Park finishing their day at Arasta Bazaar

“Our next stop is Azerbaijan, right?” John asked that night while they cuddled in bed with him as the big spoon, Sherlock gently stroking his chest with feather-like touched

“Yes” Sherlock drew the word over John’s skin “Why?”

“Our kids…” John couldn’t finish the sentence

“They’re coming with us” Sherlock kissed John’s chest “Mummy and Father Agreed to help us with them” Sherlock Smiled lopsidedly

“So no goodbyes” John sighed in relief

“Yes, but they’ll leave right after we leave from Kazakhstan to Paris”

“Paris? Why Paris?”

“I was just thinking that we needed a few days alone, just the two of us, no security detail, no children, family, no cameras, nothing, for a couple of days, just before we return to London”

“I like the idea, love” John played with Sherlock’s curls “But why Paris? Can’t it be, I don’t know, Vienna or we could return early, go to Sussex…” John pulled a few curls and made Sherlock shiver

“I wanted to go back to where all started” Sherlock said to John’s chest and he felt John was about to ask and continued talking “By the way… We’ll be returning to London in less than ten days” Sherlock looked up and locked gazes with John’s inquiring eyes “Molly”

“What about her?”

“She’s getting married to Ben and she wants us to be her bridesmaids or something like that” John chuckled and made Sherlock laugh

“I can’t believe it… Why didn’t she tell us before?”

“Apparently she did, right before we went to China”

“Another unopened envelope” John snorted

“Yup” Sherlock answered

“It’s so fast” John reflected “They met over New Year’s Eve and less than ten months later they are getting married”

“Apparently a little Ben or a little Molly is on the way”

“Come again?” John was befuddled but Sherlock took it to heart

“As you wish, my love” He went under the sheets and started fondling John, making him laugh and reach for him “I was busy, John” Sherlock leaned to kiss John’s lips

“And I was asking you to repeat what you just said” John chuckled

“You know I hate to repeat myself”

“So you do” John quirked a brow “Oh… well” he tried to make his way out of bed but Sherlock stopped him

“Only when I know my statement was heard, even though it wasn’t understood” Sherlock pinned John to the bed and started kissing him fiercely

“Point taken” John surrendered and let Sherlock do as he pleased


	138. Azerbaijan. October 18th to October 21st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’re going to the Cristal Hall tonight” Sherlock announced his family “We’ll see you at the Museum of Miniature Books in a couple of hours” He kissed his mother goodbye and took his children with him, leading John out to the city once more to visit the Baku Eye with them. They found the family at the museum as agreed and Sherlock treated them with lunch before they went to the Puppet Theatre

“It’s so early” John rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn

“I know love” Sherlock hugged him by the back and walked to the bathroom with him “But I want to be in Baku before eight” He kissed John’s ear and pushed him in the shower

“Why so early?” John let the water fall over his face and wake him a little more

“Because I have a place I want to take you and it has to be in the early morning. Preferably before six in the morning” Sherlock rubbed John’s back with some soap and held him in the shower for a few more minutes

“As you wish my love” John sighed and rested his head on Sherlock’s chest giving his chest to rub the soap

They arrived to Baku by nine, the children wide awake, Sherlock’s parents eager to share this time with their sons and to their surprise, Mycroft was there with Greg, at the ready to visit the city with them

“A Holmes family reunion” John shook his head

“A Holmes-Watson” Sherlock corrected and pointed at Harry that was walking to him with a huge grin on her face

“What…” John was struck dumb

“He said he had something to show us” Harry shrugged

They went directly to their hotel, Mycroft had made the arrangements and they had the entire top floor, all the rooms reserved for them. John understood finally why Sherlock wanted to arrive early; the view to the Caspian was simply… breath-taking and he could only imagine the sunset and the sunrise over such a tranquil water mirror

“See?” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek and laid a chaste kiss on his lips “Shall we?” He grabbed John’s hand and led him outside their room and to the city. The family followed and Sherlock walked side by side with Harry, talking animatedly, although every time John approached them they would fall silent and Clara would just shook her head and take him away

They went to the Palace of the Shirvanhahs and the Maiden’s Tower in the morning, before heading to the Bulvar to have a quick lunch and hit the streets for their nest visit to the Flame Towers, the Museum Centre and İçәri Şәhәr Archaeology Museum. The entire time Sherlock was with Mycroft and Harry, while John was being distracted by Clara and Greg

“So?” Harry looked at Sherlock

“You think it’s wise?” Mycroft had a worried face

“It could help him or destroy him” Sherlock answered, a hint of worry in his voice “I have a fifty/fifty chance to fail and it’s killing me”

“Why not tell him?” Harry searched Sherlock’s eyes for an answer

“I’m afraid” He answered and Mycroft stop in his track to look at his brother “Don’t mock me” He looked away and Mycroft reached for his shoulder

“I’m just surprised” Mycroft said with a soft voice “You’ll have all the security you need. You already have permits to travel by plane and I’ve secured your stay at the British Residency in Kabul” He patted his brother’s shoulder and they resumed walking “You’ll have to be very careful… Any demonstration of affection…”  

“Death” Sherlock nodded “It’ll be difficult, but I think he needs it as much as I needed to revisit certain places” Sherlock shrugged “I’ll ask him tomorrow morning” Sherlock looked back and locked gazes with John, smiling at him and giving him a wink, John smiled and winked back, relief washing over his face

“So it’s settled” Harry looked at John too and smiled at her brother, John smiled back

“Yes” Sherlock nodded “It’s decided” He bit his lower lip, both concerned and giddy about going to Kabul

“Where does he think you’re going?” Harry asked

“I convinced him we needed time alone, no children, no security detail, just the two of us for a couple of days in Paris, where all started”      

“Wouldn’t he be disappointed” Mycroft pursed his lips

“Maybe” Sherlock rubbed his face “But he’s been here, for everything” He steepled his fingers under his chin “Doesn’t he deserve the same? At least for a couple of days?”

“You’ve been to India, and the United States, even to Spain” Harry countered

“Yes, but his life changed drastically in Afghanistan” Sherlock retorted

“No” Harry shook her head and smiled “You changed his life drastically”

“Thank you” Sherlock let out a long sigh, smiling at Harry, she smiled back and walked away to meet with Clara and walk beside her

“You should do as you wish” Mycroft broke the silence “But you should ask him first” He walked away and left Sherlock alone to his reverie. Sherlock’s felt John’s hand over his shoulder and looked at him with so much love John couldn’t believe his luck

“Shall we go back to our hotel?” Sherlock asked his beloved husband

“After dinner” John pushed him softly to a nearby restaurant and the entire family went behind them

Sherlock woke John up early the next morning; they all had agreed to reconvene at the balconies to watch what Sherlock was so eager to show them, each with their respective couples in their own balcony. John sate between Sherlock’s legs and rested his head on his shoulder looking at the sleeping city below them

“Look” Sherlock pointed at the sea and John followed his finger. The sky started turning a beautiful shade of pink, mixed with oranges and violets, the city below turning off the lights giving way to the day light to reflect over the calm waters. The sky was cold at first, the violets retreating slowly to give pass to the fiery yellows and oranges, mixing a beautiful pink that soon gave way to the clear blue that slowly swallowed the yellows and oranges in order to turn a calm shade of celeste

John couldn’t believe his eyes, he had seen the beauty of sunrise in Santiago, and he had also seen the beauty of sunrise in Barcelona, but this was strangely enchanting, it wasn’t just the sky, it had to do with the apparently still water and the reflection of the city on the edges of the sea that acted like a mirror for the city and the sky and reflected the beauty that surrounded it

“Amazing” John turned in Sherlock’s arms and saw his eyes; that shade of cold blue turning into dark blue mixed with golden and greens, his own private sunrise and sunset all in one

“My love” Sherlock caressed John’s cheek and he leaned into his touch “I have to tell you something” Sherlock took a deep breath and could see John’s eyes darken and his brow furrow with worry “I’ve lied to you about our plans” He moved his hand away from John’s face and placed it on his own leg “I told you we’ll be going to Paris” John nodded, his face contorted between curiosity, anger and slight relief “But the truth is…” Sherlock bit his lower lip “I was planning on going to Kabul and Kandahar”

“Afghanistan?” John’s eyes were wide open and he reached for Sherlock’s hand “Are you sure?”

“You deserve it as much as I do; to face whatever you feel you need to face” Sherlock nodded slowly “I love you, John… Just a word…” And John kissed him eagerly, the other couples cheering and whistling

“By the way” John moved slightly away from Sherlock “It has just occurred to me that you haven’t told me yet what happened here” He smiled at his husband and kissed him again, leaving him breathless

“Jacques, a week and no” Sherlock pulled John to his chest and started kissing him just the way John likes it, until he’s made of jelly “We have an hour” Sherlock said and stood, taking John with him to the bed

“We’re going to the Cristal Hall tonight” Sherlock announced his family “We’ll see you at the Museum of Miniature Books in a couple of hours” He kissed his mother goodbye and took his children with him, leading John out to the city once more to visit the Baku Eye with them. They found the family at the museum as agreed and Sherlock treated them with lunch before they went to the Puppet Theatre

“You still owe me a conversation” John reached for Sherlock’s hand over the bed “You distracted me with a museum, a puppet show and a wonderful visit to a very shinny building and played the violin there” John chuckled

“I know love” John reached for John’s waist and pulled him close “But it was the usual business, following a lead, getting rid of weapons dealers, ending with a network that sold children on line…” Sherlock answered nonchalantly and John kissed him deeply

“Wonderful man” He kissed him again “You’re sparing me a few details, aren`t you?” John caressed his back and felt him shiver

“A few… Like killing a couple of paedophiles with my bare hands, escaping in the middle of the night to Kazakhstan to avoid being killed by a raging mob of weapons’ smugglers and watching Jacques with Marco, Daniel Gustav, Paul and Guido kill at least a hundred men, some with their bare hands…” Sherlock had his eyes closed, his breathing slightly ragged; his brain full of memories

“It’s over” John kissed him softly and held him close

“It’s over” Sherlock took a deep breath and got lost in John’s eyes “Ready for tomorrow?”

“More ready than ever” John smiled at him “The last city in this tour” John cuddled close to Sherlock and stroked his back “And then…”

“Yeah” Sherlock sighed happily against John’s chest, all his worries melting away


	139. Kazakhstan. October 21st to October 23rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not childish!” Sherlock pouted and looked at John and he was smiling at him, barely containing his laughter “I’m not…” He saw his reflection in the mirror and started laughing “I’m sorry” He reached for John’s hand and he thankfully grabbed his “Is it a surprise?” He asked and John nodded “I’m sorry” He moved closer to kiss John but John looked away and pointed at something on the street

“Astana was the last time I felt free” Sherlock was playing with John’s fingers, enjoying the way they felt against his own “After that week chasing one of Gavrilov’s men I ended up in Russia” Sherlock was looking at John’s finger with such intensity that if looks could burn a hole, they would have burnt a hole on John’s skin “Astana wasn’t different from Baku, but Jacques was there to help me. I was lucky enough not to be captured by that weapon’s smuggler, but Daniel made sure he was properly taken care of” Sherlock tried a smirk and John squeezed his hand

“I don’t need to know more, my love” John reached for Sherlock’s chin with his free hand and made him look up “I have outlined everything in my mind. I have a map of your trip here” He tapped his own forehead “And now I know how all went and I don’t need to know more” He lifted Sherlock’s hand to his lips and kissed the palm “I love you” He looked at Sherlock and cocked his head to the side, playing their little game, Sherlock did the same, smiled and leaned to give John a kiss

“We’ll be staying in Astana for two days”

“Which is why you took me out of our hotel at five in the morning” John smiled at him and Sherlock smirked lopsidedly

“Too much to see, too little time”

“You always say that” John shook his head and chuckled

 “Well, it’s true” Sherlock shrugged and John reached for him again and kissed him

“And where are you planning on taking me?”

“Well…” Sherlock cocked his head to the left and looked at John rather intently, making John shiver “You’ll have to wait and see” He smiled devilishly and John shook his head, settling back on the seat and trying to enjoy the last short flight they’ll have

They arrived to Astana right in time for them to visit the Aquarium; the visit was a success, as it usually was when Bell and Mish were involved in the strolls, Bell discovered a new found love for rays and Bell just pointed at everything he saw and Sherlock was obliging at telling him what they were and the boy would look at his father wide eyed and would giggle when Sherlock made faces at him

To John that was Sherlock’s natural state, a loving father and husband, a wonderful human being, in fact, the most human, human he had ever had the good fortune of knowing. This trip had proved to be exactly what they needed, room to know each other, to talk, to be their true selves, to forget about the masks of the Detective and the Doctor, a chance to grow, fortunately together

“He’s come so far” Violet’s sweet voice reached him

“Yes” John sighed and watched as Sherlock picked Bell up and started chatting with both his children, all smiles. Vulnerable, fragile, the real Sherlock Holmes that was hidden under regret, shame, pain, anguish, and the need to be protected, loved and cherished with all his faults

“Thank you” Siger patted John’s shoulder and the three of them found themselves revering over Sherlock Holmes and his children

“Listen” John turned a bit to look at them both “I was thinking about something and maybe you could help” John looked at Violent first and then and Siger and they both nodded “As you know, a lot of people helped him during his… hiatus…” John licked his lower lip a bit nervously “I thought I was able to name as it was… but…” He rubbed his face

“It’s difficult for us too” Violet grabbed John’s elbow “We knew he’ll leave but we had no idea if he was ever going to come back” She smiled sadly at John “Mycroft almost didn’t tell us about their little… plan” She took a deep breath and looked at both her sons sharing a moment with the children but John could see the pain in her eyes “But we managed, every single day not knowing how he was… We don’t even know what truly happened to him, and when Mycroft brought him back…” Her voice cracked and John held her

“You needed a favour” Siger changed the subject

“Yes” John breathed out slowly “As I was saying…” He grabbed Violet’s hand in his “He’s made friends… along the way during his time away he made friends” John smiled “Not many, but not few” He looked up at Violet “I was wondering if you could help me get them together by the thirtieth, Sussex will be great, some live in Peru, others in Washington… It might take time but, could you help?” He was hopeful

“Of course” Violet beamed at him, considered it done “You have a list?” John nodded and handed her a paper with the names of all the people that had been there for Sherlock and few more names, Angelo, Hudders, Molly, Mike, Bill, James and Sally

“I was thinking… Anglican?” John bit his lower lip and Violet nodded frantically “I’m sure Mycroft can find us a nice place for the thirty first” Violet reached for him again and kissed him on both cheeks “Morning suits, he looks lovely in grey and purple… he calls it aubergine… The tailor has the colour” John continued “I like grey and blue… Sherlock calls it mays… maybe white roses, some posh fish and chips, Isabelle the flower girl, Hamish the ring bearer, Mycroft could stand for him or you could, Siger” He looked at his father in law “Greg for me… I’ll ask later” He felt Sherlock approaching him and changed the subject completely “So for Hamish maybe you should get a few of those wooden toys to distract him on your way back… I bet he cried his lungs out during the trip to Turkey” John chuckled and winked at Violet and Siger, they laughed with him and nodded

“What are you plotting about?” He put his arm around John’s shoulders but refrained from kissing him and quirked a question brow, trying to read him like an open book

“Your parents were telling me about their flight with Hamish and Isabelle” he lied and looked at his in-laws “Poor Mycroft…” he shook his head and Sherlock looked at him with Detective eyes but let go of his suspicions for the sake of his mind, he’ll interrogate John soon enough “Are we ready to go?” He grabbed Sherlock’s arm and Sherlock nodded “Next stop?”

“The National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan” Sherlock answered a bit coldly and John knew he was onto him

“Okay?” John asked him, even though he knew the answer

“Yes, John” Sherlock turned to look at him “Just one thing” John nodded “Don’t lie to me… ask for privacy but, please… don’t lie to me” Sherlock looked hurt and John wanted to kiss him

“I’m sorry” John looked down “We can talk more about it at the hotel” John looked away and picked Bell up and to his chest “Shall we?” He walked away and Sherlock followed

The visited the Museum and Sherlock was eyeing John the entire time, he knew he was hiding something, something about them and will found out about it, tonight. When Mycroft approached John and they started talking lowly, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, when Mycroft held John’s hand and hugged him Sherlock had enough of the museums and the visit and everyone, he simply whisked his children away and left the museum without another word, John managed to follow him, just barely, and got him outside the building

“Now what?” John whispered angrily “Are you just going to leave me here with your family?”

“I’m just tired” Sherlock lied and walked away

“Don’t lie to me” John followed him

“The rule applies to the both of us” Sherlock retorted

“Fine…” John sighed loudly and climbed in the car with his husband “I was asking a favour from them” he rolled his eyes, absolutely frustrated “I wanted to give you something, but now I’m not so sure” He looked out the window “You acting so childish… maybe it’s a mistake” John shook his head

“I’m not childish!” Sherlock pouted and looked at John and he was smiling at him, barely containing his laughter “I’m not…” He saw his reflection in the mirror and started laughing “I’m sorry” He reached for John’s hand and he thankfully grabbed his “Is it a surprise?” He asked and John nodded “I’m sorry” He moved closer to kiss John but John looked away and pointed at something on the street

“Look!” John said excitedly and asked the driver to stop, and blue ring shaped building called his attention “Come, please”

“That’s the Shabyt Art Palace” Sherlock followed John and they ended up watching a play the two of them with their children

They went back to the hotel and Sherlock didn’t ask John about his plans, he simply cuddled next to him and asked for his forgiveness, for acting like a child

“Could we stay here all day, please?” John asked in the morning and Sherlock nodded “I want to stay in bed with you now that we can. Our trip to Kabul will keep us apart for over four days” John carded his fingers in Sherlock’s hair and Sherlock sighed happily, melting under John’s touch   

“We leave at ten” Sherlock snuggled closer “We can have dinner with the family” He kissed John’s chest again

“That’ll be nice” John rubbed Sherlock’s back “Are we taking the plane?” Sherlock nodded “Tomorrow Kabul” John reached for Sherlock’s hand and kissed it “In the meantime…” He moved down the bed and started kissing Sherlock


	140. Kabul and Kandahar. October 24th to October 27th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m sorry” Sherlock broke the silence as soon as the plane landed, John just nodded at him and tried to look him in the eyes but he couldn’t, he climbed out of the plane and to the car and they rode in silence back to the Residency “I’m sorry” Sherlock whispered again as we watch John climb out of the car. Instead of following John to the Residency, the driver took him for a ride, it was too late when John noticed an all he could do was wait until Sherlock reappeared

“I’m actually going to miss the kids more this time… I didn’t have time for a proper hug…” John rested his head on Sherlock’s shoulder

“I know” Sherlock rubbed John’s head softly “But Kabul is not exactly safe for our children”

“It’s not safe for us” John rebutted

“I know” Sherlock leaned his head on John’s and sighed

“Where are we going exactly?”

“On a road trip” Sherlock answered “We’re going to Helmand for a few hours, we’ll drive there and we’ll be visiting Kabul for two days. We’ll be back in London by the twenty nine in the early morning, just in time for Molly’s wedding”

“A little tight” John snorted

“Just a little” Sherlock smiled “But we have the bed in the plane and that’s more than helpful “He kissed John’s hand again

“Are we staying at the Residency?”

“Yes. I promised Mycroft, and that way we can share a room, although we can’t share a bed” John nodded in understanding

“I’m tired” John yawned and Sherlock helped him up their seats and led him to the bed. They slept for over eight hours and woke up to the first sun rays falling over Kabul

The moment the plane door opened John inhaled deeply, his body shivered and Sherlock put a hand to his shoulder “Nervous?” He asked and John nodded, took a deep breath and climbed out of the plane

“My first time here” John started talking on their way to the Residency “I had just finished practice in Brunei. My first mission, right after Bart’s was Sierra Leone, due to an outbreak I was sent to India for few months and then returned to Kenya” Sherlock was listening quietly “I arrived to Afghanistan right after my birthday in 0 six and was stationed in Lashkar Gah, right in Helmand. I was already a Captain, since I was a doctor and they considered me experienced in training and weapons. I was a fusilier, after all” John grinned “I learnt how to fire several weapons, hand to hand combat and specialized in rescue operations” John continued talking and Sherlock just listened “I was appointed my own team and we were based in Helmand”

“Do you recognise any of these places?” Sherlock pointed to a few buildings and John nodded

“The press core was stationed here in Kabul. They would come with us to the base and interview us. Many were kidnapped and my time was one of the many that were sent to the rescue. I actually dated a journalist but she left after a bomb exploded and her cameraman was killed. I was part of the team that made sure she was out of the car but we didn’t have enough time to rescue him… I think she still hates me for that” John shrugged “Since I was mostly in Helmand, any mission outside the hot zone was well received; by September I was sent to Now Zad and faced the Taliban, but I was called back to base because one of my men died” John was shivering and Sherlock was feeling impotent, knowing there was nothing he could do

“You lost many?”

“Yes…” John nodded and his eyes went teary, his voice broken “He was part of a mission with Marines at Garmsir… I had to go there to find him and before I knew it I was with the Marines again in Kajaki… I finally got a rest by February, but Kandahar was terrible, we were on high alert and I would receive young boys every single day, bleeding to death, blown up arms, legs, begging to live… My heart turned a bit… insensitive after an eighteen year old died in my arms after a night raid… That night I met James, after two suicide attacks at base”

“And James…”

“It took a few months before we actually started talking and interacting. I was sent to operations in Sangin a few times a week, and he was in charge of taking ravens to Gereshk. We didn’t have much time to do anything but try and stay alive and save lives” John shrugged “I was actually about to take my first leave when I was called to his service in Kajaki, he needed a medic and the battalion told him I was one of the best… I don’t know if that was true but… That’s what he said”

“That’s when he…” Sherlock tried to be nonchalant

“No… It was right after my birthday; I was sort of celebrating my first year in camp and he was there too in the mess and we became good friends that night, we talked for a long time and something was growing between us. He did made a few advances but something happened, always and in the end nothing would happen between us, I was deployed to Jusyalay and he was stationed in Sangin most of the time. The truth is I had to go wherever the medical corps was needed or when a raid or rescue op was in order… I was everywhere and nowhere” John was looking outside the window, his eyes full of memories

“We’re here” Sherlock patted his shoulder and John nodded, getting out of the car and going inside the building. The people at the Residency received them and offered them some breakfast before they went out on the city, they’ll have to cover themselves and walk with their security detail everywhere, but they were already used to it.

In spite of the tension, John followed Sherlock to the Kabul Museum and they were received as specialists in art and chatted with the museum director for a while receiving a private tour of the premises, after a while he offered to take them to the National Gallery and John was able to relax for a moment, forgetting where he was, until he saw a child and memories came back to him again

They looked for a place to eat and John started his story again “I remember killing children, they had weapons better than mine and were experts in using them, for them it wasn’t just a war it was kill or be killed, and they were expert killers. I faced a group of children while in Jusyalay and I ended up killing over a dozen of children, giving the order to kill” John had his eyes closed, relieving the moment

“Want to go back to the Residency?” Sherlock asked, concerned, but John shook his head, cleared his throat, stood and continued the “memory tour”. They returned to the National Gallery to visit the Sultani Museum and spent the afternoon there. By six they had to return to the Residency and their security detail made sure they returned in one piece

In the early morning a car was waiting for them to take them to Helmand, they had the permits and knew it was risky, but Sherlock wanted to give John the chance to exorcize his own fears, but instead of driving them to Kandahar, a special plane was waiting for them and it took less than an hour to arrive to Camp Shobarak

“That was Bastion” John pointed down to an abandoned hangar “Now it looks like a ghost town” he smiled sadly

“We’re not visiting the camp” Sherlock said and walked to the cabin “We’re returning to Kabul” Sherlock was panicking, realising what a big mistake it was to try and land in Kandahar

“Sherlock…” John called him, half-heartedly; he actually wanted to go back to England

The plane turned and they were soon on their way back to Kabul, the flight back was silent, John looking out the window and Sherlock doing his best to breathe again, he was about to have a panic attack and was trying with all his might not to let John know, but John knew, he was panicking too.  

“I’m sorry” Sherlock broke the silence as soon as the plane landed, John just nodded at him and tried to look him in the eyes but he couldn’t, he climbed out of the plane and to the car and they rode in silence back to the Residency “I’m sorry” Sherlock whispered again as we watch John climb out of the car. Instead of following John to the Residency, the driver took him for a ride, it was too late when John noticed an all he could do was wait until Sherlock reappeared

Four hours later Sherlock returned with a bag full of food for his husband, he had bought a true Afghan menu; Sambosas as appetizers, Chicken couscous for him and Qabuli chicken for John, Baghlawa for dessert and some coffee

“You brought food” John looked at the bags in Sherlock’s hand and reached for him to hold him in a tight hug “I’m sorry” John looked at him apologetically and Sherlock nodded, handing him the bags and closed the door behind him

“I freaked out” Sherlock sat next to John and took his hand “I’m truly sorry, John… but…”

“I know, love” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand “It was dangerous to come here; we’ve been almost in lock up since we arrived. Can we go home, please?” Sherlock smiled and nodded and pulled out his phone to write to his brother “Thank you” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand gently before letting it go and reaching for the bag of food

“We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon” Sherlock informed John “We’ll be in London in the early hours of the morning” He smiled at John “One last thing, though” Sherlock reached for his food “We’re going to Bala Hissar to visit the City Walls in the early morning”

“Agreed” John smiled at him and continued eating his food. They spent the afternoon talking about John’s missions and how life was at camp, the day they changed the name, where he stayed during his missions, the two times he returned to London, not knowing where to who or stay, wishing they’d met before.

In the early morning they went to Bala Hissar and John was ready to go back to their home. He had his fill of Afghanistan and he was ready to say goodbye and definitely close that part of his life. They were at the airport as soon as the captain called and the second the doors closed he was all over Sherlock, kissing him like a thirsty man savouring his first glass of water in forever


	141. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson. October 28th saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I went back to Afghanistan, Sherlock gave me that; he planned the entire trip and took me back to the place where my life changed, for the best. We were supposed to visit Helmand but he panicked at the last minute when we circled near Bastion and he saw there was nothing left. That was quite revealing for me. I finally said goodbye to my ghosts from the past.

**Second Chances**

I went back to Afghanistan, Sherlock gave me that; he planned the entire trip and took me back to the place where my life changed, for the best. We were supposed to visit Helmand but he panicked at the last minute when we circled near Bastion and he saw there was nothing left. That was quite revealing for me. I finally said goodbye to my ghosts from the past.

Sherlock thought I was disappointed when he made the pilot turn the plane back to Kabul, but I was actually relieved. I wanted to go back to England immediately, to London, back home, with him and our children… I know I’m not going to publish this… I know… but it must be written for him to read, for him to know how marvellous a gift he gave me, he gave me the chance to finally realise my life is exactly what it has to be.

He’s sleeping in my arms, we’re on a plane back to London, and I’m not sure what time it is. We left Kabul at ten pm and this flight will take about nine hours. I’m done calculating; thinking that time is something I must measure or I’ll be lost, but now, now I’ve just tossed my clock and allowed time to turn into something that doesn’t matter anymore, not as long as I am with him… Time, it has passed by, almost two years going around the world, with him, growing together, becoming parents, falling more and more in love with each passing day.

I can’t believe I get to wake up next to him every morning. I can’t believe he’s done this for me, I can’t believe he made time to take me to Afghanistan and helped me face what I thought it was my worst fear, only to realise that my only fear is not being able to spend my time with him. Life has given me a second chance; I can’t believe how lucky I am to have a second chance with him.

I love him, I’m so in love with him that I feel I could burst, float away whenever he looks at me, I could belt out my love to the world. I love him, I can’t wait for him to open his eyes and tell him…

I know you’ll read this later, my sweet love. I love you. I’m so lucky to have you by my side. Thank you for showing exactly what I needed to see, what I needed to learn, that my life did not ended the day I got shot, that my life didn’t end in a desert in Afghanistan, that the day I was shot it was just the beginning of the greatest adventure of my life.    


	142. The blog of Doctor John H. Watson. October 29th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, for those who are asking… he is my husband; has been for the last two years and yes, we have two children. I’m not giving you their names or ages, but be satisfied to know that we have to beautiful, rather delightful and very interesting children, and yes, before you fill my inbox with stupid questions, Sherlock is a great father, the best, actually

**Clarification.**

Recent pictures have shown Sherlock and me kissing at a wedding and people had asked if that was our wedding. After a long discussion with my colleague and friend, we have decided to let people know that that wasn’t our wedding; it was a friend’s wedding and we attended as best men… for the bride.

But since you’re so curious, and want to know about or private life, and since were mostly done with all the inferences about it, my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, has asked me to make public through my blog, the true nature of our relationship.

Yes, for those who are asking… he is my husband; has been for the last two years and yes, we have two children. I’m not giving you their names or ages, but be satisfied to know that we have to beautiful, rather delightful and very interesting children, and yes, before you fill my inbox with stupid questions, Sherlock is a great father, the best, actually

As to answer another question, we hid the true nature of our relationship for safety reasons, having maniacs leaving messages, following us, threatening to kill us made us think better about not revealing our relationship status; the less leverage maniacs such as Magnussen or Moriarty have over us means that there is less chance to hurt us…

But know this… You may threaten us, blackmail us, follow us, stalk us… whatever you want, but we’re stronger than ever, wiser than ever… and together

That’s all….

By the way, the comments section has been disabled for this post, any question you may have keep it to yourselves, and for the love of god, go and live your own sad and pathetic lives

John Watson-Holmes


	143. A surprise it’s a surprise, it’s a surprise. October 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was shot, he died in his arms… they had taken John’s body away… he was alone in bed, John’s side was cold, the house was silent and he panicked immediately, he had no idea where he was and when he saw he was in his old bedroom he rubbed his face, panicked more and tried to recall why he was there. It had to be a dream. It had to...

Sherlock woke up startled, the nightmare very vivid, John was shot, he died in his arms… they had taken John’s body away… he was alone in bed, John’s side was cold, the house was silent and he panicked immediately, he had no idea where he was and when he saw he was in his old bedroom he rubbed his face, panicked more and tried to recall why he was there. It had to be a dream. It had to, last night they had arrived to their home in Sussex and John was there with him… Where was he?

“Cotty?” Mamie’s voice came from the other side and Sherlock startled, holding his breath before Isabelle knocked again on his door and let herself in. He covered his body with the sheets and tried to breathe normally but everything hurt, his heart was breaking, everything was a dream…

“William Sherlock Scott Holmes-Watson Vernet, are you planning on leaving that bed at all?” Isabelle threw him his dressing gown and Sherlock shook his head, confused, He was a Watson, yes, he was a Watson, but John was nowhere near, Had John died?

“Cotty!” Isabelle tried again and snapped Sherlock back to reality, he breathed again and looked at his grandmother

“John?” Sherlock asked, his voice hoarse, full of panic, Isabelle looked at him with a frown and Sherlock feared the worst

“He was here last night, wasn’t he? Mamie asked and Sherlock didn’t know what to answer, his phone pinged, it was a text, he reached for it and read it

**Morning love! Don’t tell your Mamie I was there all night. I had to sneak out at dawn before she saw me. See you in a bit. I love you**

Sherlock could finally breathe, all the memories came rushing back to him and he smiled at his Mamie “He wasn’t here” His voice was still hoarse and he blushed remembering why “I was having a dream and I was disoriented… Sorry” He looked away and tried to hide his blushing face

“Right…” Mamie shook her head “Now, off that bed and to the shower… Tut-tut Cotty” She left him and walked out the bedroom

Sherlock showered rapidly and left the bathroom, drying himself as fast as he could; he shaved, brushed his teeth and went to his closet, took out his morning suit and put it on. He was adjusting his aubergine tie… oh clever John… when his mother entered his room and gasped at the sight

“Ready?” She asked and Sherlock nodded, he was getting married to John Watson, again! They left the house arm in arm, his family was waiting for him at the garden and he could see all his friends… he had friends now… waiting for them

Sherlock entered form one side of the garden and John entered form the other. Sherlock was holding Hamish and John was holding Bell. They met in the middle, right in front of their house, smiled at each other and looked at the Minister, nodding at the same time, the entire congregation laughed and they could hear Mamie, Violet, Harry, Clara, Molly and Mrs. Hudson sniffle, they smiled at each other and the ceremony started

John sure managed to surprise him, They had arrived at Sussex late at night, just before dinner after solving a case for Greg, Greg was with them by the time they arrived and when he tried to enter the house John stalled him at the door and kissed him deeply “I’m sorry” John said and opened the door, Sherlock was curious as to what John was referring but followed him, when he entered he could see a few lights flicker outside and his Detective mode was on again. He saw his mother first and quirked a brow at her, Violet snickered and left and he followed, John nowhere to be seen

He exited to the garden and the tiny flicker turned into about a hundred lights in an instant, all candles, held by his friends, Gustav, Daniel, Jacques, Paul, everyone was there, and John was in the middle, one knee on the ground and a velvet box in his hand

“Will you marry me, again?” John asked and Sherlock nodded, launching himself to John and kissing him with desperation, after that they all celebrated and John couldn’t stop kissing him and looking at him and at the pin he had bought as a wedding present of a little globe…

They danced for a couple of hours and by the time they tried to run away, his mother grabbed him by the elbow and directed him to his old bedroom in the main house. John sneaked in a few minutes later, they made love almost until dawn. Sherlock rested his head on the pillow, snuggled close to John and was fast asleep after a few seconds… Then the world went dark, cold, John wasn’t there…

Sherlock snapped back when the Minister called his name, he looked at John and said “What do you think? Of course I do, A million times and one, I do” John smiled at him and then they were kissing, their children between them and their friends clapping, whistling, laughing and wohoing.

They danced until dawn; Sherlock couldn’t take his eyes off of John, all he wanted was to look at him forever. His man, his wonderful man, had managed to surprise him, once again


	144. The Blog of Doctor John H. Watson-Holmes. November 1st saved on drafts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the chase, in the ride to Sussex, he talked about retiring, but there is one undeniable truth, and that is that Sherlock is London and London is Sherlock. He can retire from chasing criminals, but leaving London might wound him mortally…

**London and his detective**

Sherlock is London and London is Sherlock

Ever since our little “confession” three days ago, work has increased and we have more cases than ever. We also juggle with a girl that will soon turn four and a boy that will soon turn one, but we manage. Yesterday was our second anniversary and we are in Sussex with friends and family celebrating it

We had a case the day before yesterday and I could see Sherlock’s eyes lit up. We were supposed to come to Sussex early in the morning, but we ended up arriving late at night, just in time for dinner, and after solving the case for DI Lestrade. I noticed how excited he was, how full of adrenaline he becomes when we’re chasing a miscreant, as he said to me once before, and I admit it, I love the thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through my veins, just the two of us against the rest of the world…

After the chase, in the ride to Sussex, he talked about retiring, but there is one undeniable truth, and that is that Sherlock is London and London is Sherlock. He can retire from chasing criminals, but leaving London might wound him mortally… We were away for two years, but I could see how he acted just a few days before we returned to London for our son’s birth, he was ecstatic… Yes, it wasn’t just because of London, the baby had a lot to do with it, but I saw it in his eyes, his face, in the way he moved, how he talked… Sherlock is London and London is Sherlock…

I agreed to retire when he was ready, and I know we have at least twenty years or more ahead of us before we can even think to leave London for more than a few weeks…I guess the London criminal case will have to get used to have the World’s only Consulting Detective and his Blogger for many years to come


	145. Three years later. October 31st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock thought hard about the anniversary gift. He had that box under the bed with all that belonged to John. He decided to give it back, including a few more silly little knickknacks he had gathered during their trip around the world. He made sure he had at least one memorabilia from each country.

**“Around the world, the beginning of us” A novel about the adventures of a the world’s only consulting detective and his doctor/blogger**

John had finished writing, finally, four hundred pages of their crazy adventures around the world, every single detail of every single day, omitting cases and other salacious detail, of course. He was still amazed that he had the time, energy, and luck, to write it all without Sherlock knowing it. He was absolutely happy; it was the perfect anniversary gift for his beloved husband. Even though the fifth anniversary is wood, the book he had produced contained four items, each representing one of their anniversaries, paper, obviously the pages of the book that contained every impression he had about their trip.

Cotton, in the cotton pages for the illustrations, a few he had chosen of them together, the first representing their wedding in a beautiful watercolour, and the last the four of them, another watercolour painting of the first picture taken of them with their two kids, a few others interspersed between chapters with the sights he had deemed more perfect or more memorable, Sherlock and his blue scarf at Dover, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, their blue orchid, a small watercolour reproduction of the Last Supper, a sleeping Bell, Santorini Island, a tiger and an owl, two dancers at the Bolshoi, a peacock feather, Hamish’s foot print, a picnic in central park, Machu Picchu, a sleeping Hamish, a sleeping Sherlock with his two children, one of him sleeping too with them, him dressed as a captain in Iraq, and their garden in Sussex.

The linen proved to be slightly more difficult, but the book linings were made with the luxurious fabric, their initials could be seen when the light hit the right spot, and the silvery tones made it seem more like watermarks than softly hand traced S’s and J’s. The leather was the easy part, he found black leather, luxurious, like his man, and the covers were made with the rich material. Now, for the wood, he found, actually had a box made of mahogany, containing his favourite pictures, ticket stubs, programmes, feathers, menus, whatever he had saved from their trip.

He knew Sherlock had something of the sorts for him too, maybe something even more wonderful; after all, he was the expert in giving gifts and surprising John

Sherlock thought hard about the anniversary gift. He had that box under the bed with all that belonged to John. He decided to give it back, including a few more silly little knickknacks he had gathered during their trip around the world. He made sure he had at least one memorabilia from each country.

To John’s surprise, it wasn’t just one thing; it was an assorted variety of little… things… A mini replica of his browning and his dog tags, a mini helicopter and a mini train, a mini plane, a small boat and a small globe, a small map with all the countries they had visited marked with an X, a mini London, a mini magnifier, a mini case file, that said “Pink Lady” on the side, a small computer screen with his blog on the screen, little details of their life together, including a mini replica of their wedding rings… And other knickknacks Sherlock had collected along their trip, an Eiffel tower that was as big as his thumb, a Bavarian glass as tiny as his pinkie, a magnet with the shape of Poland, a Matryoshka, a keychain with the Parthenon and another one of the roman coliseum, he found a windmill and a few more magnets with the shapes of all the other countries they had been.

“Cheeky bugger” John left to box with all this memorabilia and jumped in bed with his husband

“And you call me romantic” Sherlock laughed heartily and opened the book John had given him. His eyes teared up when he saw the first illustration, their wedding day, not the first wedding, the second one, with all their friends and family, both of them in their morning suits and smiling happily at each other. He passed a few pages and started reading, it was the narration of the day they went to visit the little mermaid with Bell, he let the tears fall free and left the book to the side and hugged John, bringing him closer “I love you” Sherlock kissed the words over John’s lips

“I love you” John cupped his neck and pulled him impossibly closer. The kissed heated up, clothes getting on the way of their need to feel each other’s skin

“Happy anniversary, love” Sherlock panted in John’s ear once he recovered his breath

“Happy anniversary, love” John kissed his ear and rested his head on his shoulder, coming down from the high he felt whenever they made love


	146. Epilogue. Violet and Hamish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he opened the box and a few papers fell from it. They were watercolours of Daddy Sherlock, Daddy John, and the four of them. She sat on the sofa and went through the things inside the box. A peacock feather, watercolours of places in Europe and other countries they had visited when they were younger, pictures of her and Hamish when they were little, ticket stubs, ballet and opera programmes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter... It's been quite a pleasant journey! 
> 
> I had a verbal rampage yesterday and finished the fic
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the trip as much as I did. Thank you all for the lovelly comments, the kudos and the bookmarks!
> 
> I love you all!

She found the mahogany box and eyed it curiously. They were helping their parents pack to move to Sussex. Hamish promised to come to Baker Street as soon as he arrived from Oxford. Martin promised he would help her as soon as he picked Tim and Amanda from school; it was the twins first day.

She opened the box and a few papers fell from it. They were watercolours of Daddy Sherlock, Daddy John, and the four of them. She sat on the sofa and went through the things inside the box. A peacock feather, watercolours of places in Europe and other countries they had visited when they were younger, pictures of her and Hamish when they were little, ticket stubs, ballet and opera programmes.

She looked at one of the programmes and it was a concert in Russia. It was Faustus and Daddy Sherlock had directed the orchestra and had dedicated the concert to Daddy John. There was a picture of Mamie Isabelle holding them both, another one of Mamie Violet and Papa Siger each holding one of them.

There was one of uncle Mic’s and uncle Greg’s wedding, and another of Auntie Molly’s with uncle Ben. She could feel her eyes sting with tears as she looked at the pictures of her with Mamie and her grandparents. Mamie Isabelle died when she was fifteen; Papa Siger died when she was twenty, and less than a month later, Mamie Violet followed…

The sound of the door startled her and she heard the familiar thread of her brother coming up the seventeen steps

“Hello Tinker B…” Hamish’s greet was interrupted by his sister’s face. He sat next to her and rubbed her back slowly, comfortingly “You okay sis?” Bell nodded and showed him the pictures “Oh…” Hamish let out in a puff. He grabbed the pictures and caressed them softly. He remembered them perfectly.

“I found them here” She showed her brother the box with all the knickknacks in it

“What are these?” Hamish asked holding the peacock feather. Bell shrugged “Dad played the Violin in Russia?” His eyes widened when he read the programme “Look!” He took the leather clad book from the box and opened it softly

“What’s that?” Bell leaned close to her bother and looked at the first illustration, it was a watercolour of their parents’ wedding picture “This is lovely” She took the book from Hamish’s hands and looked at the linen and the watermark monograms. She felt the pages with her fingertips and landed on another watercolour of her Daddy Sherlock wearing a blue scarf, a few more pages and she found another watercolour of her Daddy John with the both of them taking a nap “Look” She pointed the drawing to Hamish and her brother smiled

“He looks so peaceful” Hamish outlined his Papa’s silhouette “I can’t believe they’re leaving Baker Street and going to Sussex for good” He took a deep breath

“I know…” Bell bit her lower lip. She went back to the first page and started reading “To my beloved Sherlock, thank you for giving me the world, J”

“It’s from Papa to Dad” Hamish’s voice was slightly broken and he was trying to hide the emotion   

“We left for France at 6 AM. I was really excited” Bell continued reading and Hamish rested his head on her shoulder. It was the first time in fifteen years Bell was reading to him “I couldn’t believe I was going to France, and much less, that I was going with Sherlock. Less than twelve hours ago we were getting married; our family and friends there for us, witnessing the happiest moment in my life, the moment Sherlock said yes to me and agreed to be by my side for the rest of our lives…”

“I see you found it” Sherlock’s voice startled them both

“I told you they would” John’s voice came from behind Sherlock

Violet and Hamish looked at them; they were at the door, holding hands, fingers entwined; the same look of love struck lambs in their eyes. John was holding Sherlock by the waist, his right hand on Sherlock’s right hand, his left hand on his belly, Sherlock’s left arm over John’s waist, holding him close, it took Violet a minute to notice they weren’t looking at them anymore, they were looking at each other. Before Hamish could turn to look at his sister they saw them kiss, passionately, the world outside just white noise for their love

When their reverie ended, Sherlock looked at John and sighed; John chuckled and pushed him to the flat. They sat between their children, Sherlock picked the book, John the illustrations and Sherlock began to read where Bell had left it

“Our first stop was Dover, Sherlock indulged me… Of course he did, he was willing to stop everywhere I wanted to stop, to buy food, drinks, knickknacks…” Sherlock scowled a little but kept reading “And from Dover we took the ferry, we had talked about my days in the military while on the road, and he had told me all about his time in Paris…” John squeezed Sherlock’s hand and smiled at him “From the ferry I could see England turning in to a little Island and when I faced to the other side, I found Calais, and the incredible adventure that was waiting for us…” Sherlock looked at his husband again and smiled at him “I felt sad for a moment, leaving England, but I took a deep breath and thanked whoever saved me that day for this opportunity, facing the world with the one and only Sherlock Holmes…”


End file.
